


Bloody Symphonies

by The_Maiden_of_Autumn



Category: Death Note
Genre: Alternate Universe - Historical, Alternate Universe - Vampire, Blood Drinking, Composing, Crossdressing, Developing Relationship, Fluff, Friendship, Hand Jobs, Humor, M/M, Magical Bonds, Music, Protectiveness, Vampirism, vampire
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2013-03-11
Updated: 2014-02-18
Packaged: 2017-12-04 23:00:27
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 6
Words: 58,860
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/716064
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/The_Maiden_of_Autumn/pseuds/The_Maiden_of_Autumn
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Light was just a normal vampire surviving in the slums, until he got pulled in by an odd child in a black carriage and was made an offer he couldn't refuse- be the boy's manservant/assistant in return for blood whenever he wished. Light accepted and now, he's found that the boy is more eccentric- and alluring- than thought possible. Vampire!Light and Composer!L in 1800's London.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Symphony 1: Adunationem

The slums of London were quite filthy, Light thought disgustedly as he passed disgusting alleyway after disgusting alleyway. His amber eyes roved the dark corners and shadowy streets, occasionally flashing red as a lamp shone upon his eyes just so.

 _Although,_ Light had to admit, recoiling as a boy passed him, face dirty and clothes covered in black soot, _things were much worse a hundred years ago…_

Which was true. 1700's-era London had been much filthier, with people tossing their chamber pots out of windows and onto those on the street below whenever they wished. Light thanked God every day for the discontinued use of those infernal, nasty things.

Sighing, Light brushed the soot from the passing boy off of his sleeve, shaking his head.

As a vampire, Light was forced to take his meals at night, and as the basic rule of the slums were "every man for himself" no one would look askance if he suddenly pulled a random slumster into a corner and made him his meal.

He did wish, though, that the fare was better. It was safer this way, yes, able to stay under the scope of the humans by eating random people no one would miss, but the disease and horrible condition these people lived under twisted the taste of their blood, making it almost… rotten.

Of course, this wouldn't kill Light- not much of anything could nowadays, but having nothing to look forwards to but filthy-tasting blood made his stomach churn and a grimace settle over his features.

Continuing on his way Light passed a black, fancy carriage parked in the middle of the slum's main road. The curtains were drawn over the windows and a man in a thick, clean traveling cloak was sitting at the driver's seat, nestled comfortably into his coat to ward off the chill of the night. He saw more than a few poverty-stricken people dressed in nothing but rags give the driver of the carriage a few envious, longing looks, and pity for those people struck Light's heart.

He himself was not warmly dressed, but the cold didn't affect him as badly as it did humans. He was more resistant to extreme weather, and he most likely could've run naked through the streets in the dead of winter and it would not have made him think twice.

But… there was no need to show that off to the humans. To blend in better, he was dressed just the same as many people in the slums. A worn, long-sleeved shirt, a patched vest, and long brown pants tucked into old boots served him just fine. No one gave him a second glance as he hung his head and trudged through the slums, looking just like any other poor, dejected wretch.

His eyes finally lit upon a man leaning against the corner of an alley and he paused, looking at him speculatively. He looked healthy- well, for an occupant of the slums, at least, and his clothes looked like that of a person who was no lowly worker.

Light's eyes drifted down to the man's hands, and his lips curled.

Blood. There was blood on his hands.

He was no doubt a murderer.

It would seem as if he had found his meal. His blood was sure to be tainted by the drink that Light could smell wafting off the man, and the general filth that came living in such a disease-ridden place, but the man's relative healthy state would hopefully counter that. It would be better fare than that dock worker he had made his meal of last night, to be sure.

Now that he knew his prey for the night, Light paused at the edge of the road, looking around as if to make sure that way was clear and then trudged across the street, depression and weariness affected in the set of his shoulders.

Mumbling to himself, he patted his pockets, coming up with a single shilling. He glanced at it furtively, and as he neared the man he had chosen to feed on tonight, he muttered, "Thank God it was payday."

The man stiffened as he heard Light's words and as Light passed by, the man grabbed his shoulder and swung him into the alley.

His breath was absolutely foul, Light thought with disgust as he was slammed against the brick wall, and a meaty had closed around his throat. It would have choked him- if he had been breathing. As it were, the man's breath threatened to make him throw up, so he simply stopped breathing, not needing the air in the first place.

"So, we got paid today, did we?" the man threatened, grinning. "Gimme, or this here," the man fumbled for a second and then pulled out a knife, "goes inta your gut."

Light rolled his eyes. These intimidation tactics, really… They were quite pathetic.

Not wanting to stay in his position any longer-the man's breath really was disgusting, and Light wanted it away from the vicinity of his face as soon as possible- Light didn't reply, but simply reached up and ripped the man's hand off his throat. He twisted and reversed their positions, pressing his forearm against the man's chest to keep him pinned against the wall and grabbed a hank of the man's greasy hair, yanking his head back.

"Hush," Light hissed into the man's ear, annoyed at the curses that spewed from his meal's lips. He eyed the thick neck in front of him with a measure of disgust, seeing the filth that covered it- disgusting. Still, blood was blood and blood was food, so it was time to "suck it up" as it were and get down to business.

Light grinned momentarily at his own unintentional pun, before he allowed his fangs to grow. His canines grew, elongating and slipping out further from his gums. Even after centuries of being a vampire, once he was turned by that blasted woman in hos home country of Japan, it was still a disconcerting feeling to feel them sliding over his lips. 

Without any further ado, he sank his fangs into the man's throat, cutting off the man's angry protests. Hot blood flowed into his mouth, and though the taste was foul, it was thick and quelled the hungry clenching of his stomach. Light drank eagerly, though he made sure to slip his thumb down from the man's hair to press against his pulse, making sure that it didn't stop while he was drinking.

Humans could only be turned into vampires if the human died while being drank from- if every last drop was consumed. From there, there were two options for that human- if it was left alone, it would reawaken as a vampire- but a mindless, slavering beast that set itself onto a bloody path of self-destruction. These were the type of vampires that legend spoke of- due to their bloodless state, they were consumed by hunger and their condition made their skin paper-thin, which would dissolve if exposed to sunlight.

These vampires, thankfully, usually only lasted for the night in which they were created, as they didn't have enough sense or intelligence to hide from the sun and dissolved that very morning.

And then, there were the vampires like Light- intelligent and for all intents and purposes, alive. They were the ones killed and then had that vampire's blood transfused into their dry veins. It gave that dead person life, making them into a vampire, into a whole different species. In fact, centuries ago, when vampires still operated in clans, the process of inducting a human into their clan by turning them included a huge celebration, and the ritual was called "The Rebirth"- essentially, the end of their human life and start of a new one.

But just because one was a vampire didn't mean they were not living.

Light had often thought it was silly that vampires were thought of as dead, or the undead as it were- dead things could not live, and that was the solid rule.

And in truth, vampires- the properly changed ones- were not that different from humans. They lived and breathed. They didn't "thirst" for blood- their altered bodies used blood as a life source. They were wholly dependent on it, as their organs needed it to operate and their bodies used it as fuel. The red blood cells were converted into energy, and so blood was their food, as food is essentially energy that a body uses to survive.

It was why Light hated drinking polluted blood- the red blood cells were corrupted and unhealthy, and his body used them up much, much faster, forced him to feed every night. However, healthy blood sustained him much longer, as the red blood cells were more filling and contained more energy. It was like sugar vs. meat, in a way- sugar was burned through quickly, while meat took longer.

And though this man's blood tasted nothing like sugar, it was burned through just as quickly.

When Light could feel the man's pulse start to flutter erratically, he dropped the man and stepped away, grimacing as he felt the unsatisfying meal settle into his stomach.

Still, as much as he hated this food, it was safer to make slum filth disappear rather than an upstanding member of society- no one cared if a random inhabitant of the slums suddenly died. It was so common, dead bodies were regularly stepped over without a second thought.

Speculatively, Light eyed the man's crumpled form as he allowed his fangs to recede, wiping his chin with his sleeve. He couldn't allow this man to very well live, could he? Shrugging, he bent down and broke the criminal's neck in one swift jerk.

Farewell to useless trash.

Pleased with himself and his meal now sitting somewhat more comfortably in his stomach, Light stood up and turned-

Only to let out an angry expletive as his wrists were suddenly jerked together and handcuffs, (silver, if the way they tingled irritably and rendered his arms immobile was anything to go by) were clamped around his wrists.

He was quickly dragged out of the alley and shoved into a familiar black carriage, onto the cushioned seat before the door was slammed shut and he was left alone. Snarling, Light struggled, face twisted into an angry grimace. "You fucking bastards, let me out or so help me, I'll-"

"Do be quiet."

A quiet, calm voice cut him off, alerting him to the fact that he wasn't alone.

Glowering, he turned to confront whoever the hell had dragged him here so imperiously- and with silver handcuffs, a pox on the bastard!- but he stopped and blinked incredulously when he saw the other occupant of the carriage.

It was just a boy. A rather slight one for his age, which Light guessed to be around 12 or 13. The black of the carriage made his pale skin look stark, and it was only offset by the feathery hair that topped his head and fell into equally black eyes, staring up at Light with an inscrutable expression on his face.

Well. Curiouser and curiouser…

"What the hell is this?" Light demanded, leveling a deathly glare at the boy across from him, but stopped as he suddenly got a whiff of the blood that ran through the boy's veins. Clean, healthy and almost sweet, it was tantalizing to Light's senses, who couldn't remember the last time he had made a meal of such a healthy specimen.

The boy said nothing for a moment, simply examined his face, eyes wandering to Light's chin where a dried blood trail that had escaped Light's sleeve still lingered, then to the blood that stained the collar of Light's worn white shirt. Finally, the boy opened his pale lips and spoke. "This is me confirming my suspicions," the boy said quietly, leaning forwards.

The action drew Light's attention to the lower portion of the boy's body- funny, he had been so engrossed in the slight, pale face and large black eyes that he hadn't had a chance to examine the rest of him, other than noting that he was rather small.

The boy was sitting in an odd crouch, balancing on the balls of his feet. Light had a fleeting moment of thought that if he leaned an inch closer, he was going to topple over, but nothing of the sort happened.

The boy's words suddenly hit him, and he raised an eyebrow at the boy, wondering what the hell this boy had suspected. The only thing was…

Light bolted upright, eyes narrowing into a glare as he watched the boy lean back slightly, gazing at him with a self-satisfied light in his eyes. How the hell had the boy figured out that he was a vampire?

"So I was right, then, if your reactions are anything to judge by," the boy said softly, sighing.

Light's glare only intensified at the softly-spoken words. "Who the hell are you, then? Some sort of paranormal investigator or self-proclaimed hunter?" Light spat.

The boy looked taken aback for a moment, and then his lips tilted upwards in a smile. "No, nothing of the sort. I'm actually- well, we can get to that later. This was more of a freelance project, something that piqued my interest and I found I wanted to pursue it. I came here a few weeks ago to gather ideas and noticed you- you're quite hard to miss," the boy smiled, "and even harder to forget. I instructed my driver to stop and I watched you for a few minutes. I observed you going into an alley with a man, but you came out without him. At first, I suspected you to be a male prostitute, but then, I saw you wiping at your chin- and that there was blood dripping from it. Naturally, this sparked my interest, and I returned the next night, only to observe a variation of the same thing.

I suspected… after doing some research, I came to a hypothesis, and decided to see if that hypothesis was right. And it was." The boy's eyes roved over him, nothing but fascination in them. No horror or fear- simply curiosity, much like a scientist had towards a fascinating subject. "You are a vampire, are you not?"

Light froze, then cursed mentally. He had gotten sloppy, then, and secure in the anonymity the slums brought. It had never occurred to him that someone might have taken note of his habits and connected the dots.

And he was reluctant to admit it… but the boy was quite astute, if he were able to come to such a conclusion- and be right about it, as well.

He sighed, seeing no use in trying to lie. He had a feeling this self-assured boy would allow nothing of the sort. "Yes, you insufferable brat, you're right," Light admitted, though it stung.

The boy didn't blink at the insult; he merely blinked and then leaned forwards, his eyes glittering. "Fascinating," the boy muttered. Without asking permission, he leaned forwards over the small gap in-between the seats, sitting normally on his behind lest he tumble over, and reached out to place his hands on Light's face, his white, slender fingers pleasantly warm on Light's skin.

He made Light tilt his head one way, and then the other, his eyes taking in Light's features. He suffered this indignity simply because there was nothing else he could do about it.

"You don't look any different than normal humans," the boy muttered to himself, and his thumb swiped at the dried trail of blood on Light's chin.

Light was getting a little irritated, and that was only escalated when the boy's thumb pressed against his lips, trying to slide in and rub against his fangs. Light jerked his head aback and hissed at the boy in annoyance. "Enough! I do not appreciate being treated like an object for you to study. Tell me why you pulled me in here!"

The boy blinked, a flicker of shock showing in his large black eyes before he withdrew, settling back into his crouch and regarding Light with a cocked head. "Ah. Of course. To the heart of the matter then, is it? Very well." He paused a moment, seeming to gather his thoughts before looking back to Light. "My assistant, Watari, is growing to become advanced in years. He is no longer able to carry out some of his duties as he was able to when he worked for my parents, and as such, he has requested that he be relieved of some of his more… taxing duties to preserve his health and that he may spend more time with his wife and children.

I've agreed to this, but it leaves me with a dilemma: I am without a manservant and assistant. No others desire to work for me, as I keep odd hours and am considered…eccentric. This leaves me in quite the unideal situation, I find. However, you may be the answer to my problem."

"You want me to become… your servant?" Light asked incredulously, looking at the boy as if he had gone bonkers. Which he suspected the boy had, though Light kept that thought private.

"No, not servant," the boy shook his head. "My assistant. You would help me in my pursuits, keep me on schedule, and keep me company and help me when I require it."

"And what makes you think I'd agree to this?" Light queried, his voice dripping with disdain. The audacity of this boy…

"Because I'll make you an offer you can't refuse. In return for your position serving me, I'll allow you to feed off my blood when you need."

Light froze, stunned at the boy's words, before his eyes narrowed. "What makes you think that your blood his so desirable? What makes you think I'd want it, in the first place? And how do you know I won't kill you?" Light asked, his questions sharp and fast.

However, the boy answered quickly, as if he had expected this. "Don't insult my intelligence; I may be young, but if I was astute enough to ascertain that you are a vampire, I think my intelligence deserves more credit than you give it," the boy said, his quiet voice sharp and cutting. "I've seen your face when you come out of the alleyways after feeding; there is always a revolted look on your face, as if you've just ingested something foul. And tonight, you stopped before you killed that man- you snapped his neck instead of draining him dry. Obviously, you can choose whether or not to kill someone when feeding. I'm sure my blood tastes better than the filth you find in the slums, and you would not kill me unless you chose to."

Light sat back, scowling, as his potential reasons for protesting this arrangement were cut down and slapped away with nary an afterthought. Damn little astute brat. "Fine. You're right; I'll give you that much. But why would you want me, a vampire, so badly?"

"Because you require little sleep, have no family that I'm aware of, and are no doubt very strong- I have enemies that would wish me gone, and part of your duties would be protecting me."

"How did a little brat like you garner enemies?" the words flew out of Light's mouth before he could stop them, unable to believe that this little waif of a nobleman's brat could have possibly done something to make the other nobility hate him.

The boy stiffened for a moment, before he shot a glare in Light's direction. "Because this little brat showed certain pompous adults up when it counted most," the boy hissed, his obsidian eyes flashing with indigence. "They underestimated me, were underprepared, and so, when the time came, they were shown up and disgraced."

Light swallowed, seeing the boy's eyes flash in anger. "Fine. But what happens if I don't agree to this?"

"Then, by all means, you are free to go and continue living in the slums and feeding off of revolting, filthy blood," the boy said, his anger appearing to fade away, unnerving Light at the sudden switch in emotions. "But," the boy continued, holding up a slim, long finger, "this offer will only occur once. Think about your decision before leaving." He then settled back, observing Light silently.

Indecision tore at Light. While it would hurt his pride to be some manservant or assistant or whatever to some little brat, the thought of feeding off of fresh, healthy blood whenever he pleased was wholly appealing.

He had almost forgotten the taste of healthy blood… how good it felt to feel full and satisfied, with no nasty, lingering aftertaste in his mouth.

Was playing manservant to this boy such a bad condition to the deal? Speculatively, Light studied the boy, thinking.

He was intriguing, certainly. Definitely not lacking in intelligence, and he was very interesting. Not lacking in amusement benefits, Light was sure. And a veritable free meal every other night or so…

Well. Light had just convinced himself into accepting it. Damn it all.

"Alright," Light said, albeit somewhat reluctantly. "I'll do it."

The boy's face lit up in a small smile, and he shifted to sit normally, leaning forwards with his hands on his knees. "Wonderful."

"I have a condition myself, though- it won't be an inconvenience, don't worry," Light quickly added, seeing the suspicion start to fill the boy's eyes. "I want to make an Accord with you."

"An Accord?" the boy asked suspiciously. "What is that?"

"Simply a deal between you and I, detailing terms that we both must abide by. In our case, it would be a deal agreeing that I will do what you wish of me and that you will supply me with you blood when I wish it. This deal cannot be broken, and by doing so, makes sure that we hold to our separate sides of the deal."

"And what happens if one of us breaks our part of the agreement?" The boy asked with a raised eyebrow.

"The deal-breaker dies and the other is freed from the Accord. Not a big deal, really," Light shrugged, feeling the silver prickled against his skin with the motion. It made him grit his teeth in annoyance- the brat had really done his research well- damn silver…

"Ah, of course. Death is not very important to a being who deals it out every night is it?" the boy smirked and Light glared at him, getting the inkling of a suspicion that the boy wanted to nettle him.

But Light ignored this and instead pressed the issue at hand. "Well? I've agreed to work for you- will you agree to make an Accord with me?"

The boy thought for a moment before he nodded slowly, raising a thumb to his lips to mouth at it thoughtfully. "Yes."

"Alright," Light said, then glanced back at his restrained hands. "You're going to have to let me go for this, though... Or do you not trust me?" Light asked, seeing the boy blanch a bit as he suggested it.

"You have fangs. I don't trust anything with fangs. Or anything at all, really," the boy said drily. "But, I suppose, if we are to do this…" Shifting forwards, he twisted Light's body around so that he could reach his wrists easier, and then made a chewing motion with his mouth. A second later, he stuck his tongue out and plucked a small silver key off of it, wiping it off before unlocking Light's hands.

The sliver handcuffs clicked open and fell the seat, Light making a nasty face at them while he brought his hands up to rub his wrists, regarding them almost sorrowfully at seeing the angry red rash that had started to form on them.

The boy, though, seemed to ignore Light's discomfort and shifted back into his crouch, staring at Light. "What now?"

"Now, Light said, dropping his wrist and holding out his hand, palm facing upwards, "I need your hand."

The boy seemed to hesitate, and Light only grew annoyed. The brat had better not try to weasel his way out if he was having second thoughts…

But it seemed as if Light's fears were unfounded, because the boy hesitantly stretched out his arm, placing his hand lightly in Light's own.

The hand was small and almost delicate in his, with long, slender fingers that would be easy, so very easy for Light to snap in half if he wished. All he would have to do it grab one and bend it the right way; so very, very simple.

 _Humans; they really are quite fragile,_ Light thought, curling his hand gently around the boy's and tugging him closer, bringing that slender hand up to his mouth.

"What are you doing?" the boy's voice was sharp and laced with well-contained panic. Light only rolled his eyes; he could only imagine the thoughts flying through the boy's mind. "I'm simply starting the Accord Ritual. I'm afraid I'll need a drop of your blood…" Light opened his mouth and brought the boy's pointer finger to his mouth. The vampire carefully nicked it with a fang, drawing a small drop of blood and a flinch from the boy a the slight prick of pain. He flicked amber eyes up, and wasn't surprised to see the boy staring at him curiously, as if it were fascinating to him.

The boy seemed more like a scientist or something than anything else, but Light sincerely doubted that. He just didn't seem the part, and faintly, Light wondered what the boy actually _did_. He implied things, but there were no real clues as to the boy's occupation.

Not that he could have an occupation, as he was entirely too young, so it had to be something that was not exactly a job, but more of a hobby that took up his time…

He lowered the boy's hand, realizing that he had almost gotten lost in his thought and raised his own finger to his mouth, pricking it as well, and then pressing them together.

"This is the start of the ritual," he told the boy. "I'll need you to repeat some things after me. But I'll start. But first, I need to know your name."

The boy's eyes narrowed, and he glanced away, before muttering, "Loren Lawliet."

Light raised an eyebrow, but nodded and proceeded to speak as the boy's eyes returned to him and watched him raptly. "I, Yagami Raito, swear, in this Accord, to heed the wishes of the human boy Loren Lawliet until his death, or until the Accord is broken."

The little bit of blood seeping between their fingers started to glow, as well as Light's pointer finger. Loren watched it, his eyes narrowing as he tilted his head forwards to examine it better. Light waited a moment, and then with his other hand, gestured to the boy. "Now, I need you to repeat this…"

The boy nodded as Light finished saying it, and then repeated what he had heard. "And I, Loren Lawliet, swear, in this Accord, to provide my blood as sustenance to the vampire Yagami Raito whenever he needs or wishes it, until the Accord is broken."

Then, the blood glowed brighter and Loren's finger started to glow as well, and only continued to do so as Light spoke the last words of the ritual. "Now that the terms of this Accord have been stated and both parties have sealed the bond by blood, I declare the ritual complete and the Accord sealed."

As Light uttered the last words, the glow increased to a bright flash of white and then abruptly disappeared, the darkness of the carriage and night outside only seeming darker after the presence of the light.

Loren blinked, and then raised his finger, his brows furrowing as he studied it, brining it closer to his face. "What is this?" he asked, holding up the finger to Light and showing off the small black kanji outlined in black that now adorned the boy's finger.

"That is my name in my native language," Light told him, holding up his own finger for Loren to see, which bore the same mark, albeit in a blood-red color. "It's a sign that you are in an Accord with me, and therefore are under my protection and off-limits to any other vampires as a feeding source."

"I see," Lawliet mumbled, regarding his finger with fascination. He then looked up, regarding Light with a small, somewhat triumphant smile. "The deal is sealed, yes? But… you'll be wanting my blood…" The boy paled slightly as he uttered the words, and Light could tell that he was unnerved at the idea and not fully comfortable with it. He had more than likely thought up the idea, and convinced himself to go through it without first coming to terms with it.

He had probably been more enamored with the thought of finding a vampire and convincing him to serve him than actually thinking about the consequences of making a deal with the devil, so to speak.

Looking at the boy's pale features, bleached even whiter with fear, Light felt a spark of pity for the boy. Light decided to wait at least another night, mentally cursing himself and whatever bit conscience was left after his centuries on earth because he was still so very hungry.

"Yes," Light confirmed, nodding. "However, I think I'll wait to taste your blood until another night. I'm still very full from my earlier meal," Light lied, internally wincing even as he said it. But seeing the way the boy relaxed slightly, a relieved look not fully able to be stifled spreading across his face, Light was actually glad that he had waited. He'd be good for another night at the very least. Perhaps tomorrow Light could ease the boy into it and help get over his fear somewhat.

After all, it would makes things very uncomfortable if the boy grew fearful every time Light needed a meal.

"I see," the boy muttered, before leaning out the window and calling out to the diver. "Take us home!"

There was no reply other than the sound of a whip cracking, and then the carriage began to move, swaying jerkily. Light was amazed that the boy managed to stay in his crouch through all of that; he must be exceedingly agile.

"So, vampire." The boy's quiet words brought Light's attention back to the boy, who was staring at him in rapt fascination. "Your name is Yagami Raito? I am familiar with the Japanese language- I've read many pieces of music from your language, and I studied the language in order to gain a better understanding of music. Your first name would come last, so that means that your name is Raito, or Light in English. Which do you prefer?"

"Light, simply because many people can't pronounce my true name correctly," Light said, smiling ruefully, crossing his arms and settling back. Stupid, this little brat was not. "You mentioned reading music; what is it you do?"

"Hm…" the boy hummed, looking down as he thought, no doubt contemplating whether he should reveal what he did.

After a moment, he slowly brought his hand up and reached into the inside breast pocket of his overcoat and drew out a sheaf of music. He tossed it at Light, who deftly caught it and began to examine it, a perfectly arched eyebrow quirking as his amber eyes scanned it. "An unfinished music score…?" Light asked, looking up, staring at the boy confusedly, before it clicked. "You're a composer."

The boy bobbed his head once to signify that Light was indeed, correct. "Indeed. I have an uncanny talent for playing and composing music; I've been doing it since I was 6. Recently, I was commissioned to do a piece for an opera, a piece that would be played while the heroine was making her way through the slums and saw the poverty- ridden place. Having no experience in the slums, I had to come down and take a look for myself to garner inspiration; it was why I've been coming down here, and how I saw you."

"Well, that certainly explains the eccentricies…" Light muttered, eyeing the pale, black-haired boy, examining him in a different light now that he knew what he knew. The pale skin… being a composer, he most likely didn't get outside much. His flyaway hair and ruffled clothes signified he either didn't care about his appearance, or there was no time to take care of such things. And the black circles under his eyes and the wideness of the obsidian depths were most likely the products of many sleepless nights spent writing music.

"Yes, I suppose it does," the boy said, a small smile quirking his lips.

"Hm," Light hummed, nodding, before he turned to look back at the boy once more, deciding to change the subject. "Your own name… Loren, huh?" Light said, sitting back and crossing his legs, looking relaxed and at ease, regarding the boy calmly.

The boy suddenly grimaced at the name, his mood shifting from relaxed and comfortable to tense and somewhat hostile in an instant. He fixed Light with a meaningful stare, eyes narrowing into slits. "I _hate_ that name," he hissed. "Don't utter it in my presence."

"Well then, what shall I call you?" Light questioned, looking unruffled at the boy's vehemence, although he was curious as to why, exactly, the boy disliked his own name.

The boy paused, seemingly taken aback and stared at Light for a moment, before he looked out the window, his pale face inscrutable.

"Call me L."


	2. Symphony 2: In Minutione

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A few days after the meeting in the slums, L calls Light to the library. Once there, Light is asked soem questions about his vampiric nature by L, leading Light to disclose the fact that he's not quite like the vampries read about in stories and books. And then, per Accord, L has Light feed off of him, but it goes a tad awry, leaving Light to carry L up to his room.

"You called?" Light asked, entering the large, darkened library and shutting the heavy oak door behind him. L was seated in a large, red, cushioned chair, a wooden table in front of him that had a tea set placed on top of it. Light could see that there was some blank music sheets strewn on the table as well- no doubt he had been working on a composition while he had been waiting for Light.

L was just pouring himself a cup as Light came in, and he gestured with his free hand to the other chair directly opposite of him. "Yes. Please, have a seat. I wish to ask you some questions."

Light nodded, walking to the chair and settling himself into it, quirking an eyebrow as he saw that L was situated in his crouch- but barefoot, this time. He had not seen much of the boy in the past few days, getting fitted for better clothes, settling in, and learning his new duties from Watari, but Light was becoming to think that this crouch was the way that L normally sat. How odd. "Ah, of course. Whatever you wish, that was the terms of our Accord, was it not?" Light sighed, sitting back and watching silently as L dropped sugar cube after sugar cube into his tea.

Finally, he could take it no longer and spoke up. "I thought the English took their tea black?" Light asked disdainfully, eyeing the cup of horridly sweetened tea with distaste.

"Well, it is lucky that I am not fully English, then," L said nonchalantly, dismissing Light's inquiry to take a sip of his tea. "How utterly horrible it would be to have to drink this bitter liquid black. But then again," L said, setting the cup down, "perhaps the amount of sugar I put into it will make my blood taste sweeter…"

Not English? Light's eyebrows furrowed as he took in the black-haired boy sipping his tea. While he did indeed, did look like he could be something other than English- French or Japanese, perhaps, or even Italian, though the boy had a sort of ethnic androgyny that he could be anything, really- his mannerisms and way of talking all but screamed British.

And wait- sweeten his blood? Light's amber eyes blinked as he realized what L was saying. "You want me to drink your blood."

"Well, I don't _want_ you to, but it's part of the Accord, yes? You've most likely waited long enough. I figured that tonight was as good a time as any." A strange emotion flickered through L's obsidian eyes as the boy looked up, his thin face inscrutable. "But before we do that… Tell me about your species. I've read as much as I could on them, but I find some of it to maybe inconsistent with what I've observed from you thus far- if not completely foolish."

"You possess quite the deductive skills, don't you? Have you considered a career in detective work?" Light asked, somewhat amused, and also impressed. The boy had done his homework, then. But Light was admittedly curious about the boy. Though he had heard some of the music the boy had been working on- his sensitive ears could pick up the notes floating thought he door of his soundproofed room, and Light had to admit that it was extremely good- he seemed more suited to other things, with the introspective questions he asked and the deductions he made.

"…Briefly. My father wished for me to go into the field, as he was quite the detective himself. However… I found that solving cases and helping people in general was greatly disappearing. I found the sound of the piano much more preferable to the sound of others' voices, and that instead of figuring out who had done what murder, I was more concerned which key to write my next piece of music in. I saw notes and staffs and musical signs instead of words detailing who had been murdered or who had been robbed. Eventually, my father grew frustrated and told me to pursue my interests- and he hoped that I ended up a failed, penniless vagabond one day," L finished, his voice growing softer in reminiscence. There was a raw edge to his voice as he spoke- it was obvious that he had a great love of music, and his father's words had cut him deeply, Light thought.

How sad, to have a talent such of L's attempted to be nipped in the bud before it fully had a chance to blossom. But L had persevered, and Light saw proof of the boy's accomplishments in the music he heard floating through the great manor daily.

But Light was also curious- where were the boy's parents? It was odd that an adolescent would remain alone in such a huge estate

"How… inconsiderate."

"I do agree. But I believe that you've deflected the question I posed to you, vampire."

"Yes, of course. My species… you are actually correct in saying that many theories and legends regarding my kind are very much wrong."

"I thought so…"

"We are not undead- that is a foolish notion. Dead things cannot, and will not ever come back from the dead and 'live,' so to speak. We are simply a different species- an innovation of humans, if you wish to think about it in technical terms. Our bodies are wholly dependent on blood- it serves as oru food, and is needed for or bodies and organs to function. We convert the blood in our bodies to energy, and is used up in that way- it's the reason we need to feed on other humans' blood- to restore that which has been used up."

"Fascinating. It seems as if your body had attempted to evolve to become wholly-self sufficient- but something went wrong, and now you are forced to feed on that which you are wholly dependent on…"

"I guess you could put it that way…"

"What I'm innately curious about, though, is that if you are an all-powerful vampire- if all vampires are superhuman…. Why do you not try to control London? Or the whole world, for that matter?"

"Because I have no desire to," Light replied, his voice holding nothing but honesty as he shrugged. And he wnted to shudder at the thought- dealing with the whole world… it was a bit much for anyone, the weight of the responsibilities too heavy a burden for even a vampire's strong shoulders.

"What?" L asked, recoiling a bit as he was taken aback, automatically setting his teacup down to lean forwards, his hands clutching his knees.

"Humans have us all wrong. We aren't bloodthirsty beasts out for world domination, L. We are actually very human in our wants and needs. We all desire families, to be loved and accepted. We are not cold, unfeeling creatures. We seek out companionship- often, groups of vampires form clans, which are families of vampires who all live in a single area. These calls are often like towns, in a way. They are refuge for those who are shunned by humanity," Light explained, his amber eyes taking on a faraway look as he remembered clans he had briefly joined in the past before he had moved on, feeling restless. He had been more than welcomed there; all vampires were, but he still felt uncomfortable there, as if he didn't truly belong. And so after a few years, he had moved on, searching unconsciously for something he couldn't put a name on.

"But… wouldn't humans just kill those vampires?" L's question broke Light out of his thoughts, and he returned his gaze to L, the boy leaning forwards indecently.

Hearing L's question, Light's lips spread into an almost condescending smile. "You are still very young, L. I've lived many a century; trust me when I say that vampires were not always regarded with fear. Many centuries ago, the real truth about vampires was known, not the skewed version you humans have come up with. Centuries ago, when a human was turned vampire, that person was not then an object of fear; instead, he or she was a being to be pitied and loathed, for vampires are regarded as parasites, living off of other humans' lifesource. In fact, a vampire was referred to as 'In Maledictus Prasitus.'" The name slipped off of Light's tongue and he winced, remembering all those who had hissed it maliciously at him as he passed through town after town, shooting him hate-filled glances and loathing looks, yet not daring to do anything to him for they knew he could kill them quite easily.

Still… the memories stung after all these centuries, even after the lips of those who had maliciously called him that were long silenced by death.

L's eyebrow rose as he repeated the name silently, then out loud, making Light wince as it fell from he boy's lips smoothly. "The Cursed Parasite. How interesting…"

"Perhaps," Light allowed. Yes, his history probably was quite interesting to someone in L's position; but to Light, it was a bit painful to remember.

"So this human desire is why you don't wish for power? Why do you live off of slum filth rather than other, better fare?" L asked, referring back to Light's earlier words.

"Such as yourself? Because I'm scared, L," Light replied, to L's apparent confusion. "Think: if I were exposed as a vampire feeding off of nobles, what would the city do? I assure you, I wouldn't live long; and while it is veer hard to kill me, I _can_ be killed. Many vampires such as myself are common people, just trying to make their way in the world. They do almost the same thing as me; however, they are even more paranoid than I because of the dangers they face, living among normal humans. I took the safe route; no one cares if a random slumster dies. In fact, it's common. I do what I do and eat what I eat because it's _safe._ I haven't lived this long just to meet my end because I wished for a better-tasting meal."

"But…what about special abilities?" L asked. "Surely, if you have telepathy or some such thing like that, you would have been able to wipe those people's memories after you fed from them, letting you feed as often as you wish with the human none the wiser."

"Special abilities…?" Light asked trailing off, quirking an eyebrow. He then snorted, shaking his head. "Feh. What humans conjure up in their free time. I'm sorry to disappoint, but I have no such things."

"Really?" L asked, leaning forwards, his eyes wide with curiosity. In the dim light of the room, lit only by the fireplace and a few lamps, what little light there was reflected off of L's wide eyes, making them almost mirror-like. Light could see himself reflected in the black orbs, and he was captivated, unable to look away from them as he continued talking.

"No. We do have enhanced senses and physiology- I'm much, much faster and stronger than any human, and my senses are quite keen, but I cannot set things on fire, levitate them with my mind, or delve into other humans' or vampires' minds, either," Light told him, smiling a bit. He knew of these misperceptions on a human's part- over time, legends of his species had slowly overtaken the truth, twisting the facts and intertwining the made-up parts and true parts until they were indiscernible from one another.

Though he found the myth that certain vampires could shoot lightning bolts out of their eyes to be particularly amusing.

"So, basically, you don't have any special abilities or anything like that?" L said, leaning back, and regarding Light with disappointment, picking up his cup and taking a sip of the now-cooled liquid." How saddening. I do think I got gypped on that regard," L snorted, regarding Light critically over his cup of tea. "No special talents indeed…what good's a vampire if he can't set things on fire with his mind?"

"Blame your stupid human misperceptions of my kind," Light snapped. "I've been living quite happily without the ability to 'set things on fire' as you refer to it, and I will continue to do so long after you are dead."

"Yes," L said, his mood changing from lightly mocking to almost…sad… as fast as quicksilver, eyes suddenly dropping to the ground, a strange flicker within them. "I suppose you will."

There was an odd silence that pervaded the room, and Light waited for L to ask another question, but nothing more came from the boy's pallid lips. Deciding to dispel the sudden strange mood and move on with the night, Light leaned forwards, his amber eyes locking with L's obsidian-black ones.

"Shall we get on with this? I'm rather hungry, and I do believe I've sealed my part of the deal."

L's face paled radically, though Light wouldn't let his sympathy get the better of him this time. He was hungry, and L had said that he could feed from the boy after he had answered his questions. Well, not in those exact words, but it was the automatic assumption that Light had made, judging from the impaction of the boy's words.

"You know, I do want you to be at least somewhat comfortable with this if we're going to be doing this every other day or so," Light murmured. "If it would make you feel more comfortable with this, I can take from your wrist instead of your neck. That way, you'll be able to see what I'm doing and can stop me more easily if you get too uneasy," he offered.

L passed for a moment, his obsidian eyes wide, contemplation flickering through them before he nodded slowly. "Yes. For now, I think that would be best." Tentatively, he extended his left arm out, turning it so that the palm was facing up, blue veins tracing almost delicately under smooth, white skin.

L's hand was shaking slightly, almost unnoticeably, Light noticed as he stood up and drifted closer to L, sinking down to his knees in front of the boy. He grasped L's wrist gently, making sure not to hold it too tightly and scare the boy. Slowly, Light drew the wrist up to his mouth, brushing his lips over the soft skin once before flicking his eyes up, locking them with L's.

"Will it hurt?" L whispered, eyes locked firmly onto Light's, unwavering in their intentness. His whole body was tense, as if he were ready to jerk his wrist out of Light's hand at any given moment.

Light paused; he hated to tell the boy this, especially considering how wary the boy was… but there was no choice. He couldn't very well lie to the boy; he'd never trust him after that, and trust was crucial for their arrangement to truly work. He trusted L not to reveal his secret to the world; L would have to trust him not to kill or otherwise harm the boy by taking too much while he fed.

Closing his eyes briefly, he nodded, lips once more brushing over L's wrist with the movement, feeling the warm, thrumming skin slide over his sensitive lips. There was a nice smell to L's skin; almost sweet, and clean, like fresh laundry.

Healthy.

It was the smell of healthy blood, and Light allowed his fangs to extend just the smallest bit as he answered softly. "L… I won't lie. I can't make my bites pleasurable- that's a silly notion, thinking that I can change pain to pleasure simply on a whim. It does hurt- but only for a few moments. My species has evolved to develop a sort of drug that's secreted in our saliva- it has the same qualities as morphine, but in a much stronger, concentrated amount. It numbs whatever skin it comes in contact with."

"I…see…" L murmured, closing his eyes and looking away, determination settling onto his pale features. "Just do it. I won't be the one to break our Accord. You need to feed; so do it. Don't delay any longer."

Light stared at L a moment, before his lips quirked upwards in a smile. Brave boy; Light had to admire him for that. Stubborn as well, but that could be overlooked. "As you wish," Light said softly, before dipping his head one more, inhaling the fresh, clean scent that emanated of of the boy's skin.

Mouthwatering. Absolutely delectable-smelling.

His eyes lighting in anticipation, he extended his tongue to lave across the area of the potential bite in saliva, hoping that it would numb the area a little bit before he bit into the wrist and make it less painful.

Because he knew from experience how much a vampire's bite could hurt.

He heard L give a little gasp as his tongue touched the boy's skin, licking it a few times. His eyelids fluttered as he tasted the boy's skin- it was warm and clean, and he was able to detect the slightest steady pulsing of the boy's blood under the skin. Absolutely divine…

"That feels weird," L muttered, slitting open an eye and looking down towards Light. He snapped back to attention and looked up at the boy's quiet words, amusement glinting in his amber eyes.

"Yes, I suppose it would," Light mused, licking the wrist regretfully one last time, but the sorrow at being parted from the boy's skin was soon overcome by excitement as he thought of the delicious meal he would soon be consuming. Light raised his head fully, allowing his fangs to extend to their full length, feeling them slide out over his lips.

L sucked in a shocked breath at seeing the ivory fangs poking over Light's lips, and suddenly, Light was glad that his eyes didn't glow red or that his features didn't twist unnaturally while he prepared to feed. That would not help him in his endeavors to put the boy at ease.

"Relax," Light said soothingly. He brought his free hand up and tapped at the saliva-slicked area on L's wrist, seeing the boy's eyebrows furrow at the feeling. "See? You can barely feel anything here. It will most likely be a sharp pain, before it fades to an aching soreness. Not too bad," Light reassured him, dipping his head back down to L's wrist. He regarded the nervous boy calmly from underneath his lashes, wishing there was something he could do to set the boy's mind more at ease and eliminate the fear and nervousness dancing in the boy's obsidian eyes.

"May I?" Light asked once more, wanting to make sure the boy was mentally prepared for what was to come.

L hesitated a moment, before he nodded- unsure, but it was a definite acquiescence.

Not wanting to wait another moment, with the smell of the boy's blood filling his nose, Light parted his lips, pressing them down onto L's wrist, eyelids fluttering as he inhaled the boy's unique scent. He licked his lips unconsciously, unable to help it, before he set the tips of his fangs gently over the place where the boy's pulse was the strongest.

He could feel the pulse hitch under his lips, in a response to the fear L was no doubt experiencing, but he ignored it- L had committed to this, and pulling away would be question the boy's resolve and no doubt hurt L's pride.

And that was something Light didn't care to do, being rather prideful himself, despite what he had been doing the past few years in London.

He prodded the skin gently with the tips of his teeth once, twice, letting L know what he was doing, before he gently sank his fangs into the boy's skin, the sharp canines sliding through the thin, white skin easily, slicing through the layers until the tips of his fangs hit the main vein and artery running through the wrist, piercing through the thin outer lining and allowing the blood to rush into his mouth.

And what blood it was!

Light's eyes almost rolled back into his head as the hot, fresh blood poured in a steady stream into his mouth. After such a long tie of feasting on nothing but filth, it was like ambrosia to his tastebuds and starved body.

Clean and packed with healthy cells and other components that made up blood, the liquid burned like the finest liqueur as it raced down his throat, sweet and fulfilling, making him dizzy at the rush and sending waves of energy zinging everywhere, to the tips of his fingers and toes everywhere else, besides.

It was delicious, and Light drank eagerly, taking in the delicious liquid in hasty swallows, though he still had enough of the presence of mind to keep a sharp eye on L, waiting for the first sign that the boy was growing weary and he needed to stop.

But, God, he didn't want to stop. After so long… it tasted wonderful, so absolutely divine and filling…

Still, as Light drank, he noticed L's already pale features bleach even whiter, making his black eyes and the circles ringing them even more stark- in an unhealthy, faint sort of way. L's head bobbed a bit, his eyes growing hazy, and light saw a flash of worry streak through them. "Stop," L whispered, though his voice seemed very weak and faint- and it was only then that Light noticed the boy was trembling slightly all over, as if it took great effort to keep sitting upright.

Light reluctantly withdrew his fangs, dislodging them silently and drew back, wiping his chin. He cursed himself mentally as he grimaced, realizing that he had miscalculated; he knew exactly how much to take from an adult without it killing them, but Light simply didn't think about tL being much smaller and slighter than an adult- and so, he had taken too much.

The boy looked like he was about to pass out.

"Damn," L said breathily, raising a trembling hand up to his face and examining it through eyes that looked as if they were struggling to focus, before they drifted off to Light. He winced at he saw the bleariness invading L's eyes- a sign that he had been careless and taken too much.

Stupid. He had been stupid, to get caught up in his meal- a mistake only younger vampires made. Mentally berating himself, he nonetheless snapped back to attention as L continued, his voice wavering slightly.

"That… was quite fascinating. And painful, if I'm to be honest. Though… I feel quite foggy," he finished faintly, bringing his hand up to his forehead and shaking his head, failing to notice the twin trails of blood that streamed down his wrist from the puncture holes.

"L!" Light exclaimed, swiftly getting up and catching L as it seemed as if he were to fall out of the chair. Worry flickered in Light's amber eyes and flashed through his body as he pulled the boy's thin frame into his arms before L could topple over.

"Hey," Light said frantically, seeing L's head lolling limply on his neck. He shook the boy a bit, and it seemed to snap him more awake, because he lifted his head to level an indignant glare at Light.

"Put me down at once," L hissed, blinking once and attempting to shake his head in an effort to clear it.

Light let out a breath in relief- there was the feisty little brat he had come to refer to L as in his mind. He was about to do as the boy ordered, but after a glace down at the boy cradled in his arms, he changed his mind.

Really, in an odd sort of way, the boy could almost be called endearing- in the way a kitten hissed and spit in a futile effort to warn off something bigger than them. The way the boy's wide obsidian eyes narrowed into annoyed slits, even as he unconsciously clutched Light's black-clad arms in an effort to keep himself balanced was reminiscent of the ferocious kitten.

Smirking, Light shook his head. "You need rest and plenty of solid food and fluids to restore the blood you've lost tonight. I doubt you can even walk on your own."

L's eyes narrowed at this, though he remained unprotesting, and Light took it as a sign of encouragement to continue. "You also wanted me to be your bodyguard, if I recall your words correctly when we first met. Bodyguards take care of their employer- which is you, in this case- and what sort of bodyguard would I be if I allowed you to simply lie here, weak and helpless and unprotected? I highly doubt you can stand by yourself, as the blood loss has made your body weak and mind faint. Let me carry you to your room, and then I shall leave you alone."

The boy was silent for a few moments, his eyes narrowing in contemplation, and Light could see conflicting thoughts clashing in L's mind. His pride was no doubt warring with the knowledge that he should accept Light's help; he wouldn't make it up the stairs otherwise. Finally, L seemed to come to a compromise within his mind, and he looked away, glowering at the ground ill-temperately. "Fine," L huffed, relaxing into Light's grip and allowing the vampire to hoist him up and grip his lithe body better.

"I'll call Watari in to clean up," Light told L, walking away from the chairs and table to the large oak door of the library. It was still slightly open, and Light hooked the tip of his foot nimbly into the open crack to slide the door open, slipping out.

L didn't respond to that; looking down, light could see that L's eyelids were fluttering, and could feel the grip on his shirt slackening, his hand going limp. Light wasn't too worried, though; L's blood had restored his vigor and he could feel the energy-filled blood churning in his veins, sharpening his senses and strengthening his body more than both had been in years.

He could hear L's pulse in resounding in his ears, easily able to be heard from his newly-sharpened senses. It was a glorious feeling, to be this refreshed and restored after years of living with muddled senses; thus was the difference between living off of bad blood vs. healthy blood.

L's pulse was faint, yet still steady, and Light mentally made a note to quit sooner the next time he fed from the boy. He had badly miscalculated what the boy could give, and it wasn't in him to want to see L like this. As much as the boy had infuriated him at first, being away from the boy in order to settle in had allowed him to re-evaluate his feelings, and Light had come to the conclusion that L's curious, unabashedly blunt mannerisms were just a part of the boy's eccentricity.

Such as his crouch and habit of wearing no shoes.

Light allowed a small smile to flirt at the edge of his lips as he climbed the stairs and walked down the hall to L's room. Yes, the boy was certainly amusing and made for an interesting specimen to watch.

And his blood…

Light closed his eyes, repressing a pleasurable shudder at the thought of the boy's blood. It had been delicious… and already Light felt himself carving more.

One could liken it to a human's addiction to sweets; give a starving man a piece of old, crumbly cake and let him feast on that for a few days and he would be grateful, but give the same man a piece of spongy, rich, fresh cake after the other, and he'd choose the fresh cake over the old any day. It was the same for Light regarding blood- L's blood in particular.

He came to a halt as he reached the door at the end of the hall, so caught up in his mental musings that he had almost crashed face-first into it.

_Oops._ Light grimaced, then shifted L easily into his left arm, his enhanced strength letting him handle the thin boy with ease. To Light, he weighed next to nothing; L's weight was comparable to that of an ink-quill in his arms. He then opened the door, stepping through, and re-shut it with a backwards push from his foot.

L's room was sparsely furnished, alto Spartan in its lack of furniture. _If not for the elaborate design scheme or golden inlay on the fancy wallpaper, it would look almost… sterile_ , Light thought. But then again, he amended as he looked down at the boy in his arms, seeing the dark circles that spoke of many late nights with little sleep, perhaps he didn't use it all that much.

The boy lived more in his music room with his piano and constant supply of sugar and fresh composer's paper than in his room or anywhere else in the large estate.

How sad… what a very lonely existence.

Though, the lack of L's parents made Light only the more curious. No doubt Watari had been taking care of him; perhaps his parents were away on vacation or business. It certainly wasn't unheard of for nobles to take off somewhere and leave their child behind so as to not have to worry about them.

It was harsh, but the reality was that children were reared to continue on the family name and in some cases, businesses. They were not brought into existence to be loved.

Light felt a flash of pity for L as he turned down the bedcovers and placed the boy's thin body onto the silken sheets. He honestly could not remember his parents all that well; he had been 24 when he was turned, and already out of his parent's home and working in the rice patties on a community farm, and had been doing so since he was 16. He didn't remember what it was like to have a loving family- memories of that were long banished and obliterated by the years he had spent trying to survive as a vampire in a world that hated and loathed them.

Sighing as he got lost in his memories, Light grasped ahold of the wrist he had drank from and examined it, wincing. It would seem as if in his haste to get to L's blood, he had not been careful enough… the puncture holes were larger and deeper than he usually made them, and blood was oozing from the twin holes steadily.

Cursing his carelessness and incompetence, Light went and searched about the room until he got lucky and located some bandages that were set off to the side. Judging from the small pinpricks of blood on the white cloth, they had no doubt been used for minor pricks of the finger from an ink quill or some such things; quills could get quite sharp, and Light himself had nicked himself more than once when his grip slipped on one of the writing utensils.

He went back to L's side and quickly wrapped up the puncture marks on L's wrist, making sure the bandage was tight enough so that it wouldn't fall off, but not too tight so as to cut off circulation or make the sleeping boy uncomfortable.

He stood up and stitched as he finished bandaging L's hand, tilting his head down to examine the boy that he was now in service to more closely. As long as he was to be with the boy until he broke the Accord- which Light heavily doubted the prideful boy would do- or he died, as humans were annoyingly wont to do, he might as well get to know L better.

His eyes swept along L's thin form-for an adolescent boy, he was quite thin, and a bit on the short side as well. But his face… Light had to admit that the face was quite unique. With a sharp chin and high, wide cheekbones, it was almost… exotic looking.

Although it was frustrating as well, Light mused, as he pulled the bedcovers over the boy, but not bothering to undress him. He was an assistant and manservant, not a butler and caretaker.

Though the boy had said he was not British, he had given no other clue as to what ethnicity he was, and that made the boy's past particularly hard to puzzle out. It was annoying, how little he knew about the boy, and yet L had been able to figure out Light's own darkest secret- the fact that he was a vampire- out through observation, and by himself.

_If only I could read minds…_ Light thought regretfully, shaking his head and turning away from the sleeping boy- or the boy he thought was sleeping.

The hesitant calling of his name made Light stop and look over his shoulder, surprised to see L sitting up, clutching at the sheets, twisting them in an unconscious sign of uncertainty. An array of emotions flickered through L's wide eyes, but Light had to admit he was surprised when the boy glanced away and muttered, "Thank you."

"For what?" Light asked, not knowing what he was thanking him for. There was no need to do so for bringing him up here; he had practically forced the boy's hand on that one, and both of them knew it.

"For stopping when I asked… I was unsure if you would, but that you did… perhaps you are more noble than I first assumed."

Huh. Light felt a shocking warmth streak through his being at L's quiet words, and he was unable to stop the small smile pulling at his lips. "You are most welcome."

L was silent for a moment, and then he looked back up, determination set in his gaze. "Now that I've given you my blood, you are honor-bound to serve me, yes? Tomorrow, I want you to start your duties. Meet me in my workroom at 8 o'clock sharp- and bring tea."

Light stared at L for a moment, taken aback by the commanding demeanor he had taken on. Before… he had been almost hesitant, almost prodding at Light with his questions, never really giving him an order as if to see how far he could get away with ordering a supernatural being of Light's caliber around.

Now though… it seemed as if their actions tonight had reassured L of his control over Light, due to the accord, and he was cementing their deal by giving Light his first order, after he had given his blood to Light for the first time.

Astute little brat. A bit endearing… but still a brat, nonetheless.

Light blinked, and then a smile slowly stretched his lips.

"Of course," Light said quietly. "As you wish."


	3. Symphony 3: Suavis Revenge

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After a composition of L's is ripped off and his position as one of England's best composers threatened, it spurs L to create a totally new and utterly perfect piece- which shows up all his previous works and that of the man's who ripped him off. However, at the after-party of the concert that L and Light attended to conduct L's piece personally, L is approached by the would-be usurper. What is said upsets L greatly, and Light's protective instincts kick in, leading him to dispose of L's competition, the same man who slighted his Accorded. Along the way, Light contemplates his slowly-changing feelings for the now 17-year old composer, leading him to a certain protectiveness over the teenager, a protectiveness that leads him to do soemthing that he would consider questionable under normal circumstances.

"No."

Toss.

"That's not right…"

Toss.

"What the hell is this…?"

Toss.

"Wrong key…"

Toss.

Light opened the door to L's workroom, swiftly dodging another piece of crumpled composer's paper being tossed over the teen's shoulders with an irritated flick of his wrist. It sailed past him and out the door. Light's head turned to watch it calmly land on the carpeted halls of L's estate. It bounced a few times before it came to a rolling stop in the middle of the hall.

Sighing, Light shook his head, dismissing it for the moment. No doubt he'd have to pick it up later, but for right now, the vampire couldn't be bothered. He had more interesting things to attend to.

Interesting things with the name of L.

Instead, he finished making his way into the room, closing the door behind him and wading through the mess of rejected papers scattered about the floor with practiced ease. He had long grown used to this sort of thing since he had first come to the now 17-year-old's home to become his assistant.

He ignored L's irritated mumblings in lieu of swiping a few crumpled papers off of the stuffed, burgundy-red chair in the corner. Ignoring the way L's free hand came up to tug at long, inky-black locks in frustration, Light calmly picked up a newspaper that was lying on the table next to his chair, opening it with a snap and flipping a few pages until he got to the section he wanted.

"Dominick Tracey was featured for his piece last night," Light commented casually, flicking up his amber eyes to the pale man crouched on the bench in front of the piano.

L's mutterings only increased, his black eyes narrowing as he wrote on the piece of paper in front of him, occasionally pausing to hit a few keys on the piano before picking up his quill again only scribble furiously on the paper in front of him.

Disappointed at the response he received, Light pressed on. "Apparently, his _Danza Delle Diume_ \- Dance of the Feathers- recieved quite the high number of reviews. Even though it was a rip-off of your own _Valzer dei Cieli_ , Waltz of the Heavens."

At his words, L's head snapped up, his black eyes narrowed in fury. "I know that!"

Light simply chuckled and raised the newspaper back up to cover his face, a small spark of pleasure at nettling the usually apathetic teen warming his heart. As much as L deliberately annoyed him, it was always a small, sweet victory when he could return the favor to L.

"He's made quite a stir among the English gentry- they're saying that he might just be in a position to surpass your own greatness, L."

Light laughed as he dodged a piece of crumpled paper chucked right at his head. L glared at him before dismissing him with a haughty flick of the wrist. He bent over his paper once more, a scowl marring his pale features. Light knew from experience that the wheels in L's head were churning as he did this- it was L's way of thinking.

From L's fervent jerks of his wrist as his quill scratched across the paper, Light could see the red marks that had adorned L's wrist since the first night he had taken his blood. While they had healed well, they only became inflamed time after time as Light took blood from the teen.

L seemed to have become much more receptive to his taking of the boy's blood- while he still seemed uncomfortable when Light did so, he was not nearly so fearful as he had been, and it had settled into a comfortable routine of Light feeding off of L every three nights. And in return, Light kept L company when he was working and ran numerous errands into town and about the estate as well.

L's sudden words broke Light from his thoughts, and he tilted his head to look at L, who was staring at him thoughtfully, dripping pen held thoughtfully in his hand. "He has threatened my position as the civilized world's greatest composer..." L trailed off, his eyes drifting up to the ceiling as his other hand came up to his lips, mouthing and nibbling at it.

"Well, what are you going to do about him?" Light inquired, raising a brow. "He has shown you up..."

"And it would be quite rude not to return the favor," L finished, a smile quirking his pallid lips upwards.

"There's a concert to be performed two weeks from now," Light told him, glancing back at the paper still held in his hands. Internally, he was pleased- it would have been most disappointing if L had simply stewed in his anger, instead of utilizing it and acting upon it. But then again... the former was not L's way- an eye for an eye, the teen had always said, and Light knew this time to be no different from all the other times wrong had been done unto L.

"Two weeks…?" L mused, removing his thumb from his mouth and wiping it onto his button-up shirt that had the sleeves rolled up. It was splattered with ink, and there were a few drops on his ear as well, but the paper itself where L composed his masterpieces was pristine, every note and line drawn with graceful strokes and much consideration.

While L didn't take great care in grooming himself, he did take great pride in his work, and the paper that his compositions were birthed on were spotless and beautiful works of art. It was something Light had come to respect about L, that he cared so much about what he did that he would not suffer a single misplaced blot of ink on any of his paper.

He had known L to throw whole pieces of paper away for a single mistake and start all over again, re-doing hours of work just to make sure everything was perfect before he sent them off.

"That is not much time to construct a piece of music worthy to make Dominick Tracey's ears burn with shame upon being shown up…" Light raised an eyebrow at this- he knew L better than that. He would not give up so easily.

And it turned out Light was right when L continued, taking up his quill once more and shrugging. "But I have worked miracles upon shorter notice than this before." He stuck the quill in between his teeth and carefully picked up the still ink-wet piece of parchment he had been working on, taking a pinch of sand and dusting it over the wet ink.

He waved a hand gently over it, letting the ink absorb the gritty sand and dry so it wouldn't smear, before painstakingly rolling it up, tying it with a piece of ribbon, and holding it out while he removed the quill from his mouth. "Take this to the library, where all the other unfinished pieces are stored. I've been hit quite suddenly with an inspiration for a new piece of music that shall certainly blow London away."

Light set aside his paper and standing, went over to the piano and took the rolled-up paper, raising his eyebrow. "Do you want me to come back?"

L nodded, his attention mostly focused on the task before him. "Yes- you give me inspiration at odd moments, and for being quite illiterate in music, you actually have quite a good ear and can be quite helpful."

Light snorted- musically illiterate, indeed. Just because he couldn't care less about the difference between _cadenza_ and _concerto_ …

"Do you want me to bring you anything back when I come? Cake, coffee, tea…?"

L looked up, rolling his eyes at Light's useless question. "You know I don't eat or drink anything in here or when I'm working on a piece. I refuse to take the chance of smudges from leftover food on my fingers or the chance of spilling food or drink on my paper."

Well. So much for chivalry.

"Well, I just thought you might be hungry- you haven't eaten all day, being holed up in here since the early hours of the morning as you've been…"

"Ah… that reminds me…" L suddenly stilled in his writing, his pen slowly coming to a stop as he craned his neck to look up at Light. "…You have not fed for a few nights…" His black eyes flitted back to his new piece before he sighed and started to set his quill aside, shifting out of his crouch. "I suppose I can put this on hold for a night or so…"

"No, L," Light said, shaking his head and stepping back, unfinished piece of music grasped tightly in his hand. "You finish that- it's more important than a single meal. I feel quite well right now. Maybe if you get that finished early on later in the week, I'll take up your offer."

"But the Accord…"

"I don't _need_ blood right now, L. I shall be fine. I want you to finish that, and then you can go about your duties as being my meal again," Light said, smirking. He was trying to get the teen somewhat nettled so that he would forget about feeding Light- being called Light's meal always seemed to do the trick, and this time around was no exception.

L's eyes narrowed, irritation sparking in them at Light's term for him, and he tossed a piece of crumpled paper right at Light, pointing his quill at the door imperiously. "Out of my sight and to the library, vampire!"

"As you wish, _mon petit repas_ ," Light laughed, ducking out of L's messy workroom as the teen threw another piece of paper at him in annoyance upon being called Light's "little meal." The vampire smirked as he heard a few curses directed at his retreating back, pleased that he had been sufficiently able to distract L.

For in truth, Light was feeling quite fine right now. L's blood sustained him for a good few days, and he had taken it just two days ago. There was a slight feeling of hunger that was starting to make itself known in Light's stomach, but it was nothing he couldn't ignore- he had felt much worse hunger before for a much longer time than this.

So he'd be fine. Though it pleased him that L cared enough to put aside his work in order to take care of Light's needs. But logically, he knew that it was mostly because L didn't want to break the terms of the Accord by not holding up his end of the bargain, as it would result in his death.

Still. There was a small part of Light that liked to believe it was because the eccentric composer didn't want him to perish from lack of blood, which was a very real risk for vampires, as they burned through the blood in their bodies at a phenomenally fast rate.

* * *

**Two weeks later…**

There was excited murmurs as the nobles and gentry settled into their seats in the theater, gradually dying down as the lamps were dimmed and the only light was on the stage, lighting the orchestra and the two men standing at the edge of the stage silently.

Light's eyes scanned over the assembled audience, noting their eager looks- L's compositions were always, always well-received and looked forwards to. This one especially, for word had gotten out of Dominick Tracey's own composition, and speculation had arisen to if L would simply allow his position to be threatened. When the news of L's upcoming new composition had reached public ears, tickets to the concert had been scrambled for, the noble gentry eager to hear L's response to Tracey's impromptu challenge for the title of the greatest composer of their current time.

And so now, Light was standing next to L on the stage, waiting for l to step up onto the podium. This was the first time that L had personally conducted any of his pieces- conducted anything, and that was part of the excitement. How well a conductor led the orchestra could be the difference between a perfect playing of the piece, or a disaster as the orchestra fell apart.

Light only hoped that L knew what he was doing.

L's obsidian eyes glittered in the light of the lamps lighting the stage, gleaming with exhilaration at being up here on stage, about to lead one of the pieces he had dreamed up in the recesses of his own mind, and written down with his own hand.

It was a very long piece, and Light was standing next to him, face level with the music stand. L had asked him to handle music so that L could fully concentrate on conducting- take the finished pages and replace them with the upcoming pages onto his music stand.

Light knew for a fact that L possessed the mental capacity to both handle the music and conduct- if he wished, all he had to do was flick one page over and move onto the next one. He suspected, though, that L didn't want to take the chance of the pieces of music becoming out-of-order or having them fail to flip over on him- it had happened before, and as this was the one chance L had to show up that bastard Dominick Tracey, he didn't want to take any chances that something would go amiss and his performance would fall apart.

L was overly paranoid and an extreme perfectionist when it came to his music, though Light supposed it was admirable that he was fervent about his passion enough to care to this extent.

And in a way, Light was pleased to be able to be up here, next to L. There was certain radiance to L when he was up here, on the stage, waiting patiently for Light to get everything sorted and for the audience to become silent.

Up here, on stage, L seemed to lose his eccentricness, his awkwardness and become straight and dignified, waiting silently and proudly to show off the extents of his labor and talents.

His hair gleamed in the golden glow of the stage and the heat of the gas lamps brought a small flush to his cheeks, making them seem not so sickly pale. His black eyes glittered in the light from the lamps, reflecting it, and a small smile was unconsciously fixed upon his normally stoic face, a small testament to how happy he was to be up here, where he belonged.

Up here, on the music stage, L was _beautiful_.

Light stared, transfixed, as he placed the first sheet of music on the stand, sliding it over to the center where L could see it easily, and then went around to stand in front of the music stand, so that he could easily take and place future sheets of music.

L's eyes flicked over to him in a silent question, and Light nodded, indicating that everything was set and ready. The orchestra had already been warmed up and tuned earlier when they were setting up, so all that was left now was for L to start.

The audience, as if sensing something, fell silent, and without any preamble, L smartly turned around, his back to the audience. He raised his arms, locking eyes with the section that was to start off first, and then brought his arms down.

Light had long since memorized the piece of music so that he would know when to replace the sheets of music, and closed his eyes, simply listening to the music for the moment.

It started out quiet, so quiet that one almost had to strain their ears to hear. Featuring the small collection of flutes and a few violins at first, it was hauntingly beautiful, almost on the verge of being eerie. But L had constructed it perfectly, and it straddled the line gorgeously, captivatingly beautiful.

And then, it trailed off, the flutes dropping out to only one, held out by a single long, high note, before it, too, died away. A beat of silence, and then the rest of the orchestra entered, loud and playing a dazzlingly complex array of notes, in tandem, section by section dropping out and entering one after the other, building the sound higher and higher until it abruptly stopped with a sharp cutting of L's arm.

It was so silent, so still and tense that a heartbeat could be heard, the audience stopping their breathing for a moment as they waited.

And then, the flute returned, playing a series of long, high notes in G minor, eerie and haunting, before it melted into a warmer, more welcoming major key. The low brass and cellos entered, their low tones rumbling around the theater room, slowly and ingeniously dispelling the tension that had built.

And then, the piccolos and violas came in, the tempo starting a bit faster and a lively tune was played, light and almost happy, bringing a smile to a many in the audience. The rest of the orchestra came in, providing support and adding a new variety of intermixing harmonies and melodies, becoming faster and faster, almost until the sounds mixed and blended into one-

And then, it came to a conclusion, the last note played as L brought his arms in and then out, freezing with the rest of the orchestra as a collective whole.

The theater was silent for a few stunned moments before L slowly brought his arms down, turned around to sweep the audience, sweat running down the sides of his face, before he slowly bent, executing a low, stately bow.

And the theater exploded into a frenzy of clapping, and one of the most genuine smiles came over L's face then, transfixing the already stunned Light.

It had been an absolutely visual pleasure to watch L conduct his piece. His face twisted and changed with every new section of the music, from peaceful and relaxed during the first section, then moving onto exhilarated and intense during the second part, and ending with an almost wild smile as he urged the orchestra to go faster and faster, climbing to new and complex heights before freezing, his face slowly losing its intense focus and concentration and simply becoming relaxed and pleased as he allowed the piece to come to an end.

And during the conducting- oh! It was truly a sight to watch L conduct, for he conducted with his whole body. His arms swept gracefully to and fro, going from a slow 6-8 time, to a fast 4-4, then back to 6-8, gradually changing into 3-4, climbing to 2-4, and only increasing the tempo of the 2-4 from there. His body had swayed upon the podium as his arms made his whole body move, his feet shifting to keep his balance, almost to a dance all their own.

This was the first time Light had ever seen L conduct anything, and through his amazement, he wondered why L did not do it more. He was simply marvelous, though in a small part of his mind, he was glad that L did not do this regularly, for Light did not want to give anyone else the pleasure of watching L in his element as closely as Light had been able to.

Breathing heavily, L stood triumphant upon the podium, sweat rolling down the sides of his face from the exertion, glowing and basking in the knowledge that his piece was received, accepted- and loved and delighted in.

And Light couldn't help but smile back, a warm tingle starting in his stomach as L looked to him, throwing him a content smile.

Perfect.

* * *

People milled about at theater-reception of the recital, talking in hushed whispers about L's new masterpiece- Light smirked as he heard numerous people remark that Dominick's challenge with the Dance of the Feathers had been acknowledged- and more then met, it would seem.

L had surpassed Dominick's rip-off of his own piece with a stunning compilation of his own-his best one, to date. It was amazing how much anger could motivate the teen, Light marveled as he swirled a glass of sparkling champagne in his hand, watching L converse with a few other musicians covertly from under his eyelashes.

Seeing one of them lean closer to the teenager who he was Accorded to, placing a hand on his arm- an innocent gesture, no doubt- made Light's eyes narrow as an unfamiliar feeling, hot with anger and a dash of green envy, slashed through him.

 _Jealousy,_ Light marveled, blinking as he recognized the feeling.

Jealousy.

A sudden murmur broke Light out of his thoughts, and he looked up, his remarkable amber eyes widening and then narrowing into a watchful glare as the tall, broad-shouldered form of an English noble cut a path through the swarm of people, heading straight towards L.

"Earl Loren Lawliet, correct?"

Light could see L's body stiffen under his formal clothes as he turned to face Dominick Tracey, his features tense and black eyes wary. Light's hands clenched- he knew how much L hated being called by his full name, for whatever reason, and it no doubt nettled him.

And to be honest, Light was rather… protective… of L, in his odd way. He was Accorded to the boy, and though that was part of his protective reasoning- it really would do him no good to have any harm come to the boy- he had also grown to be somewhat fond of L over the past few years.

L's face bore an expression that Light likened to someone tasting a lemon as he addressed the man that had "Marquis Dominick Tracey. What a… pleasure… to see you here. I hope you liked the original performance?"

From where Light was standing, he could not see the Marquis's face, but he could imagine it was as tense as his shoulders had become at L's subtle jab.

"It was most… intriguing. Although it seemed rather similar to my own composition…"

L's fists clenched, and the skin around L's large black eyes tensed at Dominick's reply. "Which was a rip-off of mine, Marquis," L snapped, his temper breaking. "You ripped off one of my own pieces, though I'm not sure what possessed you to do so, for everyone know that copies and throwbacks are never as good as the original." He glared at Dominick, his black eyes sparking in angry fury. "You will never be at the level L is, Marquis Tracey."

"Never is such a long time, Loren," the Marquis replied. "But enough of this- now is not the time for insults. Let us talk of more pleasant things."

"I doubt anything discussed with you is apt to be pleasant. And we are not familiar enough for you to address me by my first name, Marquis."

"Oh, please, do excuse my rudeness. That reminds me, as well. It was remiss of me to not ask after your family- tell me, how is your brother doing?"

Brother? Light's brows furrowed as he pushed himself off the pillar he was leaning against, starting over to the two men who seemed as if they wanted to rip the other apart, wanting to intervene before something did happen.

L had never mentioned he had a brother. A year or so ago he had made a vague mention to his parents having died shortly before he met Light when Light had tactfully asked, but he had never heard the slightest mention of a brother.

However, it seemed that the mention of L's brother extremely bothered L- to the point where it seemed as if L would resort to violence.

And knowing L, his brother had to be an extremely sensitive subject if he would resort to such extremes. But, Light knew he had to intervene- even though L might be pushed to do something like hit the Marquis, his reputation would suffer for it, and for someone like L, whose very career was dependent upon what others thought of him and his work, he couldn't let L do something like this- he'd never forgive himself if he did.

And it turned out that he had decided to move at the right time, too- L's hands clenched, fury burning in his eyes, and he looked like he was about to punch the Marquis' grinning face. Light got there just in time, however, closing his fingers around L's hand- the one with the bite marks, Light noted, seeing the start of the reddened circles start to peek out from the cuffs of his black, formal tailcoat.

That wasn't good- it might raise unwanted, though mislead, questions if someone were to see it. The very nature of those marks couldn't be dismissed easily- they were quite distinctive and not able to be made by accident.

Light forced L's hand down, tugging the sleeve of the coat lower down discreetly so cover the marks before they could be spotted by the marquis' eyes. "There you are, L," Light murmured, squeezing L's hand in a warning for him not to interrupt and to go along with Light's words. "I do believe the carriage has been pulled around, Master L."

L's eyes flicked up to him, assessing him and asking silently what the hell he was getting at.

"Who are you to interrupt to so rudely?" Dominick broke in, regarding Light with some disgust. Light suspected that the distaste marring the Marquis' features was from the fact that Light was not English, if the way Dominick's gaze lingered on his tilted eyes and high cheekbones, no doubt noting the darker, tanned color of his skin as well. And by the way Dominick's lip seemed to curl a bit at the edges, he quite disliked what he saw.

Racist bastard. Light turned to him, annoyed at the Marquis' own rudeness at addressing him so informally and brusquely.

"Ah, do pardon me," Light replied, striving to be courteous while releasing L's hand to give a polite bow to the man. Even if Dominick Tracey was an inconsiderate asshole. "I am Light Yagami, L's personal assistant. I do small errands for him and accompany him around to various functions like this."

"Hmph. I suppose you'll be leaving then?" Dominick asked, at which L started to shake his head, obviously wanting to say something, but Light cut him off before he could say anything damning to his reputation.

"Yes. I'm sure L is quite tired after his performance, and the many late nights spent perfecting his composition."

Dominick stared at Light, assessing him for a moment, before he turned away dismissively. "Well, then, take care, - and Earl, do try to write not so… pompous pieces in the future. Nobody is impressed when it's too exaggerated and overdone. But then again, any decent composer worth a whit would know that…" the Marquis said as he walked away, dismissing both L and Light with a flick of his hand.

"Bastard-" L started to choke out, but Light squeezed L's shoulder in a silent warning and discreetly steered him in the direction of the door, trying to get the teenager away from the place before anyone could hear the obscenities being quietly issued forth from L's mouth.

L accidentally was a bit loud with one certain word, and desperate to somehow censor L, he clapped a hand over the teen's mouth, smiling apologetically at a few people who gave him odd looks. "I'm afraid all the excitement has upset his stomach and he doesn't feel very well," Light hastily explained, at which the looks turned understanding and concerned, allowing Light to get L out of the building and bustle him into the black carriage with the Lawliet crest imprinted on the side that was waiting for them.

Seeing no one was about, Light swiftly pushed L into the carriage and hopped in after them, knocking on the top of the carriage to signify they were ready to go, and the vehicle pulled away with the snap of a whip and a lurch.

L was righting himself, his head turned to glare with blazing eyes at the building they had just left. "That bastard!" L hissed hatefully. "I hate him. It would be so much better if he would just die!"

Light blinked, taken aback at L's vehemently childish words. "You don't mean that," Light said carefully, not wanting to incite any of L's wrath onto himself.

L's head whipped around to him, and Light was shocked at the depth of hate in those gleaming obsidian orbs. "Like hell I don't!" L yelled, angrily slashing a hand in front of him. "Everyone in the English gentry knows that the Lawliet history is taboo- no one, _no one_ speaks of it! Something like that… for him to do that is unforgivable. I wish the Marquis would die!"

There was silent in the carriage as Light stared, hardly breathing at the boy who had turned his face away from Light. "L?"

He didn't respond, and as Light looked closer, he was startled to see a single tear glimmering in the corner of the boy's eye.

_I wish the Marquis would die!_

L's words repeated themselves in Light's head, and the sight of the tear on L's lashes only incited Light's anger to burn brighter on his Accorded's account.

Somewhere along the way, along the numerous days spent at L's side, bantering with him, keeping him company, feeding off of his delectable blood… he had come to regard the boy as somewhat of his own, as his property, as _his_.

It might just be _because_ of the bond, but whatever it was, seeing L so distraught angered him, and he knew exactly who the cause of this was.

The Marquis.

_I, Yagami Raito, swear, in this Accord, to heed the wishes of the human boy Loren Lawliet…_

_As you wish…_

_I wish the Marquis would die!_

Thoughts flew about in Light's mind, but at the foremost were these three simple sentences that were first and foremost. As you wish… as L wishes…

Light smiled, though it was unseen by L, as a plan began to form in his mind, and his eyes glinted crimson in the moonlight.

_As you wish…_

* * *

He helped L out of his tailcoat after they got home, as Watari had been dismissed for the night and L needed help getting undressed. The buttons on the inner coat were situated on the back, and L wasn't able to reach his back and maintain the necessary dexterity needed to unbutton them.

So it was why Light was in L's room now, helping the angrily silent L out of his clothes, lying them off to the side before moving onto the next item.

Light flicked his eyes up from where he was removing L's tailcoat, sliding it off of L's thin shoulders. "The Marquis is petty- you shouldn't stew over such things, L," Light told him quietly.

Of course, he was one to talk- he had a plan for tonight- the marquis had insulted L as well as himself, and sparked a series of events that only led to one logical conclusion.

L might hate him for it later, but it was no matter. The boy did not control all aspects of his life; he had certain freedoms that could not be denied nor taken away, freedoms that allowed him to do this one simple thing.

But L could not be awake, for he'd know exactly what Light had planned; the boy was annoyingly-endearingly- perspective in that regard.

L rarely slept full nights, though, and often woke up to wander the house for a good hour before returning to his bed for a few more hours' sleep. He had to make sure L would stay asleep. And though it was somewhat dirty and underhanded, there was one sure way to exhaust L so completely that he slept a full night through and into the later morning.

Not until now had Light ever been thankful for L's seemingly human fragility.

"I cannot help but stew, as you say, vampire," L hissed, his eyes slitting at the thought of the Marquis. Bringing up his brother like that- he was the worst sort of bastard. No one brought up the subject of Beyond…

L felt cool, gentle fingers run along his wrist as the vampire behind him slid the tailcoat's sleeves off of his arms, tugging them off carefully.

Funny, how he felt more secure and safe in the presence of a previously thought mythological creature- one that was a killer of humans, at that- than in the presence of his own kind. But he supposed it was because the vampire- Light- was bound to him. It was odd, that he actually preferred Lights company to other's.

And from all previous observances of the vampire, he seemed to bear no ill will towards L for subtly coercing him into service.

With somewhat of a jolt, L realized that he had not offered Light his blood for the past few nights, and he felt slightly guilty at that, as well as worried. Was he breaking the conditions of their Accord? And it was his responsibility to make his blood available to the vampire.

The tailcoat was removed from his body, and as the vampire turned to set it aside, L quickly took the opportunity to roll up the right sleeve of his shirt, turning back to the vampire.

When Light turned around, he was shocked to see L holding out his wrist while rolling up the sleeve of his white shirt, raising an inky-black eyebrow at Light's confused look. "You've not taken blood for a few nights, have you not? Here," L offered quietly, extending his wrist further, so that Light could distinctly see the blue veins tracing under pale skin, as inviting as they always were.

Though Light needed to do this, the thought made him somewhat wince- the blood he planned on taking later would only taste more revolting to him after the taste of L's sweet blood, and the thought of an overly-full stomach was distinctly unappealing as well.

Still… the thought of L's blood was too delectable to resist, and he knew that he needed to do this, as well.

Light gracefully dropped to his knees, taking L's wrist in his hand as he'd done many times before, and he was pleased to see that when he ran his tongue over the almost-healed puncture marks, L no longer shuddered in barely-repressed fear or turned his head away. Now, he simply tilted his head back and closed his eyes, relaxing as the familiarness of the situation settled in.

Light brought L's wrist up to his mouth more, so that he wouldn't have to crane his neck so much. He let his fangs slide out over his lips, and gently brushed them along L's skin, politely letting him know what was coming. However, he hesitated as L failed to respond, not even a twitch. Light placed his fangs against the puncture holes, testing, and when L didn't seem to notice, Light realized the problem and drew back slightly. He still allowed his lips to rest on L's skin, enjoying the soft smoothness of the skin marred only by twin puncture wounds, and then looked up at L.

"Too many times of this, and you may lose feeling in this patch of skin," Light murmured against L's skin, savoring the smell emanating off of L's skin as he always did. No matter what, L never failed to smell… L-like, though over the course of the years, as he'd hit puberty and matured, his scent had subtly changed.

No more was it just simply sweet and innocent, like a simple strawberry lollipop that children enjoyed. Over the years, it had subtly changed, evolving to a more musky, dark, masculine smell, one that Light likened to dark chocolate with a strawberry tint. It was unique to L, and Light never grew tired of smelling the scent of L's skin.

L's eyes slid open and he looked down, blinking as he saw that Light was about to bite him, and he had failed to notice. He seemed to not be too worried, though, as he shrugged. "Perhaps then it won't hurt as badly," L said.

Light frowned. "It still hurts? Even with the preparation?"

"The first few seconds don't- but when your teeth go deeper than a few centimeters, it does hurt. I suppose the numbing drug carried in your saliva only penetrates the first few layers of skin," L mused thoughtfully.

"Ad you've failed to mention this before?" Damn it, Light hated to hear that all this time, he had been causing L pain- he knew how badly a vampire's bite could hurt…

"It never seemed of very much import. There's nothing you can do, therefore there was no point in mentioning it. Funny that you should seem to care about your meal's well-being so much, though…"

Light didn't answer that; how could he? Instead, he held L's eyes for a few seconds more before swiftly biting down, sinking his fangs into L's skin and trying to be as quick as he could about it so that the sensation wouldn't be drawn out, causing L more pain.

He heard L's gasp as he did so, and he drew back before too much blood could enter his mouth and cause him to get lost in the sweet, heady taste. Getting an idea, he allowed saliva to pool in his mouth, and he stuck out his tongue, positioning it right over the twin puncture holes and letting the saliva drip down into them. He hoped that by doing this, the insertion of his fangs would not hurt so much, for they tended to shift as he swallowed, the movement only hurting the muscle and raw nerves that had been torn with his actions.

"What are you-?"

Before L could finish, Light bit down again, lifting his gaze to L's shocked one. "Better?" Light mumbled, hoping that his idea had worked and by putting saliva into the wounds themselves, they wouldn't hurt as much.

L's brow furrowed as he thought, and then blinked in surprise, nodding. "Actually… yes," L admitted, and pleased, Light nodded once before setting his fangs in deeper and proceeding to draw L's blood into his mouth and down his throat, reveling in the taste and sensation.

L's blood never ceased to taste absolutely wonderful and energizing to Light. He always wanted to take more than he knew he should, and this time, he allowed himself to, though he mentally apologized to L.

He knew how much to take from L to prevent him from passing out as had happened the first time, but this time around, making L pass out was his goal- he needed L sound asleep and not wandering around at night and noticing Light missing.

After a minute, Light felt a warm hand tangling I his hair, gently tugging. "Light, that's enough. I feel… I feel faint…"

Wincing, Light kept drinking, though he slowed it down, wanting to only take enough to force L to pass out, not have his heart stop from lack of blood. That could cause complications that Light really didn't want to deal with.

"Light…" L's voice was fainter this time around, and Light knew this to be the time to pull back. He dislodged his fangs from L's skin, licking the slowly-leaking holes before he dropped L's wrist and rose to his feet.

The teenager's eyes were fluttering, and he was swaying on his feet. Alarmed, Light reached out and caught he boy before he could fall, seeing black eyes close and the boy let out a sigh before he fell limp in Light's hold.

He gave a sad smile as he set L onto his bed, setting him underneath the bedcovers- it was reminiscent of that first night Light had taken L's blood, back when L had been so much smaller and seemed more fragile, was scared of what was to come yet hiding it as well as he could.

 _You've come a long ways, L_ , Light thought as he turned away, thinking of how much L had grown, both in body and mind these past three years. _Soon, you'll be an adult, and then only growing older until you're dead. How sad that such a bright spark such as you will only burn out in the end… what a horrible waste._

* * *

"What the bloody hell are you doing here? Aren't you the Earl's butler?" The Marquis peered suspiciously out from the other side of the door, eyeing Light with distaste.

Light gritted his teeth- the pompous ass! "No, I am not Earl Lawliet's butler. I am his assistant. He actually bade me deliver a message for you," Light lied, craning his neck to look around. He could not hear any other living humans in the area or in the house.

He had to fight down a smirk as he acknowledged this- it would make his job so much easier.

This piece of trash had insulted L- his Accorded human- and he would not suffer any insult from the man on L's behalf. He had sworn to be L's bodyguard when the time came for it, and Light naturally extended that to the protecting of both L's person- and his honor.

"A message?" The door swung open, and the Marquis peered out from around the door suspiciously. "Why would the Earl send me a message?"

Ah, so the idiot was not so oblivious to L's hatred of him as Light thought he was. Perhaps his mind was not a complete waste, then. "I suppose you'll have to let me into find out," Light replied nonchalantly, holding up the white stationary envelope, flashing L's wax seal at the marquis to show him that he did, indeed, possess a letter from the Earl.

Dominick's eyebrows rose and his face became less suspicious as he eyed the letter clutched in Light's hand. "Fine, then. Come in- I'll take you to the library," the Marquis said, opening the door fully and turning away, leaving the door to Light to close.

He glared after the man, comforting himself by allowing thoughts of what he was going to do to the pig play through his mind and soothe him.

If the man was truly polite, he would have allowed Light in before closing the door for him, and then taking his coat and hanging them up on the way to the library. But he showed his contempt for Light- and Light's race- through his actions.

Light smiled slightly- little did the rude man know, he had just put the finishing touches on the signature of his own death warrant. Perhaps, if the marquis would have shown that he was better-bred and truly polite, Light would have considered letting the man off with a frightening warning- but in his actions, he had left Light with the simple decision that no, this man would not be shown any mercy whatsoever.

"Oh, no," Light said, giving the Marquis a charming- and utterly fake- smile as he closed the large doors behind him. No need to leave the doors wide open and let any passers-by see what was to occur. Light had been very careful not to let anyone see him be let into the marquis' house- he had waited until the streets around were completely empty before going up and knocking on the man's door. "That won't be necessary at all for us to conduct our business."

The marquis stopped and turned around, a look of confusion spreading across his face as he saw Light click the lock on the doors and remove his white gloves, placing them into the pocket of his coat. "What do you think you're doing?!"

"Simply getting ready to conduct business in the way I wish to," Light replied calmly, looking up. His eyes turned hard, the light catching them in just a way that the red tint in the amber color were brought out to play, making them appear reddish to the frightened man in front of him.

"You can't be serious- you wouldn't kill me!" The marquis exclaimed, desperately trying to think of a way to escape or deter the disturbingly calm man that was approaching him.

"Wouldn't I?" Light asked with a raised eyebrow, repressing the urge to roll his eyes. Humans; they thought they knew everything. Sad, really.

Light had to admit, though, if they were under other circumstances, Light would not have even entertained the thought of killing Dominick- but this time was different. He posed a threat to L's mental wellbeing- Light absolutely knew L would worry over the events tonight for days, if not weeks- and Light simply would not allow that.

Vampires were just like any other human- subject to crimes of passion. And as L was Light's passion, it had driven him to this, though Light would not pin his actions on L. He was the one who had chosen to pursue this course of action, and he hoped L would understand.

Seeing the Marquis continue to back away from the steadily advancing Light, he continued. "I'm afraid, my dear Marquis Tracey, that I do not play by simple human rules- and I have not for the past few centuries."

Dominick's eyes widen impossibly large at Light's words, almost popping out of their sockets. "Centuries- what the hell are you?!" A waver of fear made the Marquis's voice tremble, something that made Light pleased. _Let him tremble,_ Light thought viciously, allowing himself a fanged smile, it only widening as he saw the Marquis gulp in fear. _For filth like you don't deserve to die with dignity._

"Something straight out of a legend, my dear Marquis- a vampire, to be exact," Light told the Marquis, unleashing a full-blown grin, letting Dominick see fully what he had only glimpsed before.

"Why are you doing this?!" Resignation. No doubt Dominick knew that he could do nothing against Light, and so he wanted to know why Light was doing this to him. Though Light knew that the man had to have a pretty good idea, knowing that he had insulted L earlier, and now L's servant was here to kill him.

"Because of Loren Lawliet, Marquis. The man you insulted so rudely earlier tonight is under my protection- he allows me to live off of his blood in return for my service, and I am bound to him by an Accord, something your feeble mind wouldn't be able to grasp if I tried explaining it to you," Light said haughtily, reveling in the look of mixed horror and confusion etching itself upon the marquis' handsome face.

"I am his assistant, as I stated earlier, and also his bodyguard- in all respects. I protect both his body and his honor- one of which you have assaulted by attempting to make a fool of him in your copying of his work and then trying to pass it off as your own." Light tried to at least give the man some closure as to why he was going to kill the man- and because Light found the look of fear that made itself present on the man's face utterly exhilarating.

"What he wishes is what I strive to do- and earlier tonight, he wished you dead- he uttered it brashly and in the heat of the moment, but I could not help but feel that it was something he truly desired."

"Wait, no! I'll tell you something- anything! I'll tell you about the Earl's brother and his past!" the marquis desperately offered, his breath coming faster as Light drew closer. As his death drew closer. Light wanted to smile at the comparison, but refrained- one should not take too much joy in the loss of a life, no matter how despicable that life may be.

"How sickening to for you to think that I could be bribed and bought. That information is for him to tell me at his leisure and if he wishes it, for it is his own business and his alone. That being said, there is nothing else needed for you to say. Goodbye, marquis." With that, Light was on the marquis before he had time to react, his vampiric speed allowing him to be at the man's throat, his fangs sunk deep into his skin in a matter of seconds.

Dominick spluttered, gurgling as Light's fangs punctured his neck, and blood rushed ito his mouth.

He barely resisted making a face as the hot blood spilled into his mouth. It was normal blood- but compared to L's it was flavorless, bland and almost bitter. He made a disgusted face as he jerked his fangs out of the Marquis' neck, watching as the bleeding man fell to the ground.

Light stepped back in disgust, noting the blood that had stained his white shirt with annoyance. Rolling his eyes, he looked down at the Marquis' body, sighing as he thought of the work ahead of him tonight.

He needed to make it look like an accident; the Marquis was a big fox-hunter, he knew, and often went out to do so at night when the creatures were out and about.

What he needed to do was take the Marquis' horse through the forest, scare it away into running back to town, dump the Marquis' body somewhere, catch a wolf and shoot it, then place it next to the Marquis' body.

It would make the scene look as if the Marquis had been attacked by a wolf, but had managed to shoot the predator before he expired. He had certainly been rough enough while attacking the Marquis to make it look like such an accident, and no one- except L, who might find that the closeness of the incident earlier that night and Dominick's death suspicious- would be the wiser.

Scrubbing a hand over his face, Light rolled his shoulder before he bent down to sling the Marquis' body over his shoulder, and headed out to retrieve the Marquis' horse.

* * *

Light got back to the manor not long after, slipping inside discreetly and making his way up to his room. His clothes, he'd have to dispose of- he'd burn them later tonight, once the blood had dried more, for it was hard to burn clothes that were wet and soaked with blood.

He quickly changed his clothes, tossing the bloodstained ones off to the side for the moment, and then tilted his head to the side, listening to see if there was any movement in the household. There were no footsteps- no sound other than that of numerous hearts beating and the sounds of inhaling and exhaling, which pleased Light.

Everyone was asleep, which meant that no one had seen him come in.

Yet… L could be very quiet, he knew. Paranoia made him slip out of his room and swiftly head towards L's room, cracking open the door and peering inside. He heard L's distinctive heartbeat pattern and breathing, knowing him to be asleep by the slowed rates of both.

Relief surged through him at knowing L was still safely asleep, and he slipped inside the room silently, heading towards the bed.

L was very peaceful when he slept, though loss of blood had turned him paler than he normally was. But his face was relaxed and content, his lips slightly parted sa he breathed in and out quietly, deep in sleep.

It was a sight that made Light smile, and thinking that the Marquis was dead now, out of L's mind and not to have to be worried about made him breathe easier, as L no doubt would when he heard about it.

Smiling fondly, Light bent down, brushing his lips softly over L's pale, smooth forehead. "Sleep well and dream of cake, _mon petit repas,"_ Light whispered. "For you should have sweet dreams- no more shall the marquis trouble you, for I've done as you wished."

Light smiled then, a smile with a hint of fang and a tint of red in his light amber eyes. "Always, always, as you wish."


	4. Ovis in Women Vestimentis

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The day after Light killed L's rival, they are forced to go and meet L's nephew at a certain address. Along the way, Light unwittingly reveals that he did, indeed kill the Marquis. However, as they arrive at the address, they find it's a lady's school. As it happens, L's nephew had been posing as a girl there to convince the lady he's been courting to reconcile with him after being seen with another woman. Things are taking a turn for the worse, though, and L's nephew needs out. Their only option is to have L cross-dress as a female and pose as his nephew's friend in order to fix things and allow his nephew to escape. However, circumstances force Light into kissing L, and after they are able to escape and head home, their discussion of the occurrence leads L to make an unconscious offer to Light that he wants nothing more than to take...

"Tell me again why we are going to visit your nephew. And _why_ you have a nephew- I wasn't even aware you _had_ a nephew." Light crossed his arms, raising an eyebrow at the crouching boy on the other side of the carriage. L was staring out the window, thumb situated comfortably in his mouth, and had been silent for much of the morning as they headed into London per request of his nephew, Mello.

L didn't even look over to him as he removed the thumb from his mouth and heaved a sigh. "I have a nephew because when a man and a woman love each other very much, they-"

Light cut him off before he could finish, annoyed at L's way of avoiding his question. "Don't be deliberately stupid and obtuse, L. You know what I meant."

L finally looked over to him, obsidian eyes regarding him silently for a moment before he shifted to fully face Light, rolling his eyes as he did so."…Fun-killer," L muttered despondently, before blinking and looking back up at Light. "Fine. I'm not sure why he requested this visit. In the letter Watari gave me that arrived earlier this morning, it said only that Mello wished for me to come for a visit at his new home at the address I gave to the driver, and to come as soon as possible, as there was something he wanted to show me."

"Seems very suspicious…" Light said, his amber eyes narrowing as he thought. Obviously, it wasn't a request from a 'long-lost' relative or anything like that, as L seemed to be quite sure he had a nephew, but usually, in a letter that asked someone to visit, it gave them more time than this to prepare, usually at their own leisure.

L leveled a knowing look at Light, his eyebrows raising and inching upwards into his thicket of black spikes. "No more suspicious than the sudden passing of Marquis Dominick Tracey."

Light glanced away, silent for a moment as he tried to desperately come up with a comeback, or at least some way to brush suspicion off of his shoulders… He'd known that L would think he did it, damn the perceptive little- no.

Looking at L now, Light admitted to himself that L was no longer the little brat that he had used to fondly refer to L as in his mind. He was so much more mature now- not that he hadn't been so even when he was just 13, when Light had first been manhandled into the carriage with the boy sitting calmly in it, waiting to ensnare Light into his service. He had grown taller, filled out- though he still remained slim and lithe- and his mind had grown to be even sharper in the years of verbal spars with Light.

And through this all… Light suddenly wasn't sure what he thought about this… adult… L had become. Little things- it was the little things that never failed to throw Light off. Like in the way that L's deepened, baritone voice caught him off-guard at certain moments, or the way he no longer had to look down to be eye level with him, or things he said-like the little crack about where children came from, haha, _very_ clever- and many other things as well.

L had started to talk once more, startling Light out of his almost-depressing thoughts, and he looked up, pulling his attention back to L.

"Apparently, he was found with his throat half-torn out." L said it nonchalantly, but there was a knowing gleam in his obsidian black eyes that said, _I know exactly what did it, and it wasn't a wolf._

Damn. Light flinched, knowing that L almost had him, but he refused to simply give up and admit it just like that, until he knew how L would react to such a confession. He knew that L was aware that he had killed before, but he was unsure how L would take the news that he had killed someone L actually knew, a member of the English nobility.

This was exactly the reason he had stuck to the slums, damn it. Killing nobles was just too risky and drew investigations and speculation. It wasn't hard to make it look like animals had killed someone with their throat torn out by fangs, but too many of them, and an investigation would be launched. And Light knew that sooner or later, the vampire responsible for killings would be noticed leaving the person's house where they had died or the place where the body was dumped, and with no way to alter humans' memories, it would eventually be exposed that the person in question had indeed, done the killings and be put to death.

Light had seen it happen before. There weren't many ways to kill a vampire, but a silver weapon usually did it, as well as being burned to death, or his head chopped off.

And he wasn't sure if L would expose him if he openly admitted to killing the marquis. So, he tried to deflect the blame away from him, drawing L's attention to a very obvious fact. "And a wolf by his side with a gunshot wound. He was probably attacked."

L smiled a little half-smile that basically said, _Gotcha._ "I haven't told you how he died."

Well, if L wanted to go along that route… "I'm not stupid, L. I read the newspaper."

Holding up one slim finger, L's smile only grew as he said, "But the newspaper isn't out with his death yet."

Cunning little-

"Then how did you hear of it?" Light asked, narrowing his eyes. He wasn't about to give this up so easily, damn it!

"A servant told me earlier this morning after he got back from an early trip to town."

"Then it's safe to assume that the same servant told me as well."

Hah.

"…You killed him, didn't you?"

Light blinked, taken aback as the question was posed to him. He examined L's face carefully as he considered his reply, trying to see if L seemed upset at the thought of Light killing Dominick or not. L's pale face was neutral, though, and impassive. So Light concocted a noncommittal answer, in an attempt to buy himself some more time to secede whether or not to confess to the murder. "Now, wherever did you get that notion?"

"I believe you asked me not to be deliberately 'stupid and obtuse' not but two minutes ago, vampire. I ask that applies to you as well."

"Touchy, touchy…" Light said, shaking his head. "I wasn't aware that you cared for the marquis enough for you to be upset over his death."

And that thought… it bothered Light. Extremely so.

"Is that a confession?" L asked, settling back, hands resting comfortably on his black-clad knees and head leaning on the wooden walls of the carriage. The question was asked lazily, but there was an alert glint in L's eyes that let Light know that L was analyzing everything he said.

"No, merely an observation. You seem rather upset about his death," Light said carefully, making sure not to give anything away as he subtly tried to get some sort of reaction out of L to see what his feeling were in regards to the Marquis' death. So far, L had neither appeared upset nor happy about Dominick's passing, and Light desperately wanted to know his stand on the matter.

L was silent for a moment, before he replied quietly. "As a fellow composer, he's a great loss to the music worl-"

"'I wish he was dead.' Do those words ring a bell, L? You wanted him dead," Light said vehemently, cutting L off as anger starting to well up at the thought that L would actually be _sad_ over the death of the marquis. The man was trash, not worthy of living after he had insulted L and tried to copy L's own brilliant work and pass it off as his own.

"So you killed him?" The question was asked quietly, and Light paused, realizing that he had just dug himself into a hole, allowing his anger to get the best of him.

_Shit._

_You clever little brat._

There was a shuttered look in L's eyes, making the teenager across from him nearly impossible to read.

Resigning himself to the fact that he had basically just confessed to the murder, Light himself settled back, trying to shrug off the whole matter, though inside, he was cursing himself out vehemently for being so stupid and letting his emotions out him to L. "I do as you wish, L. Obviously, I didn't have to do it- you don't hold that much power over me, but I found him rather distasteful as well. And really, hearing you mope and worry about this over the next few weeks would have driven me insane. So his death wasn't just for you, L. It was for my mental well-being as well."

"… You did kill him, then."

God, he just wouldn't let that go!

"You're being quite houndish today on regards to that trivial little detail," Light hissed, annoyed by L's refusal to let the matter go. It made him a bit snappish, and as a result, though Light didn't want to acknowledge it, it made his tone a bit… bitchy. "Yes, I killed him. I ripped out his throat and staged it to look like the bastard had been killed by a wolf. Happy?"

L blinked, and then he smiled sharply, making Light pause in shock upon seeing it.

What the hell did that herald?

"…Surprisingly, yes. I didn't care for him much at all, especially after he brought up the matter of my brother," L said contentedly, his smile never leaving his face as he glanced out the window to see where they were and gauge how far away they were from their destination.

"…Pardon?!" Light asked, sincerely confused as all hell.

L ignored Light's outburst, turning his head back to look at Light. "Just do try to refrain from killing nobles that offend me in the future, though. People might connect the dots sooner or later."

"You're not angry? Why?!"

"Oh, look, we've arrived," L said mildly, completely ignoring Light once again as the carriage came to a rolling halt,

"L! Answer my question-!" Light started angrily as he followed L out of the carriage, but his words came to an abrupt and screeching halt as both he and L got a good look at the building that they had been directed.

Mello was living here?!

"What… the hell is this?" Light whispered.

"Jessica's School for Ladies?" L read out loud from the sign above the door, written in elegant, cursive script.

"Oh, God."

* * *

"Earl Loren Lawliet to see…"

"Oh!" The matronly woman who had admitted them in nodded, cutting L off. "Yes, Mellina said that she was expecting her fiancé to show up sometime or other. You're that famous composer, right? The one who just performed last night?"

"Um… yes," L said unsurely, his eyebrows rising upon hearing Mello referred to as "Mellina." It made him wonder just what the hell his hot-headed nephew was trying to pull. "Did you see the performance?"

"Me?" The matronly lady laughed, a great booming chuckle that befitted one of her broad stature. "Goodness sake! No, I'm just a servant. But I did hear from a few of the ladies here from the older classes that were allowed to go that it was quite the pretty piece."

Pretty?

L's eye twitched as he heard Light start to snigger behind him, covering up his mouth and passing the sudden noise off as a coughing fit.

His piece had been more than pretty, dammit! It had been brilliant and wonderful and entrancing and he had not spent two weeks of all-nighters and day-long rehearsals to have it referred to as "pretty," curse the idiots!

Still, a compliment was a compliment, and it would be a sign of bad breeding to simply brush that away. "I'm glad that my music was appreciated," L said smoothly, giving the elderly servant woman a bow. Straightening up, he continued, "Now, may I see my… fiancé?"

He didn't know what Mello was playing at, but if he had to masquerade as a woman and pretend that L was his "fiancé," something was definitely wrong.

"Oh! Yes!" the woman said, fluttering her hands as she led the still-chuckling Light and an annoyed L down the hallways and into a sitting room. She told them to make themselves comfortable, then informed them that she'd be right back with tea and the Earl's niece, and flounced away.

"So…" Light drawled, and L turned to him, his obsidian eyes snapping with irritation which only grew upon seeing the teasing light in the vampire's eyes. "Pretty?"

"Shut it," L snarled, turning away and crossing his arms, still stewing. "Young girls know nothing of true musical appreciation!"

"Heh," Light smirked. It was somewhat funny to see L get so worked up; though L's music was his world, so he supposed it was alright for L to be so upset over something like that. "I suppose so, if they call something like what you created simply pretty."

Blinking, his irritation bleeding away at Light's subtle compliment, L turned in hope to the smiling vampire. "You thought it was good?"

"Better than good, L. I've been around for quite a few centuries, and not once in my long life have I heard something as utterly brilliant and beautifully crafted as what you wrote and performed last night."

L stared for a moment, taken aback, before a small, pleased smile tugged at his lips and lit up his eyes. He opened his mouth, about to say something, when a whirlwind of a blue dress and blonde hair flew in, streaking straight for L.

"L!" L's eyes opened wide, and he swiftly sidestepped the blur, making it come to a shuddering halt a few feet past him. "Hey!" it said indignantly, looking around.

The lady then turned around, and L gasped as Light snorted in startled amusement at the sight before them.

Light had never seen L's nephew before, but from what little L had told him of Mello, this "lady" bore a suspiciously strong resemblance to L's nephew. So strong, in fact, that this _had_ to be Mello- the face, bright blue eyes, shoulder- length blonde hair and face shape could be none other.

"Mello?!" L exclaimed, taking a step back in shock as he took in the lacy blue dress Mello was wearing, as well as the way his hair was pinned up in soft curls, ringing his face. "Why- what the hell are you doing?!"

* * *

As it turned out, Mello was enrolled in this lady's school and posing as L's niece because of a lady who also went to school here.

He had been courting her for the last few weeks, though when this lady- a Miss Linda Mellryn- caught Mello in the act of taking another young lady –her friend, in fact- out for a stroll, she immediately became infuriated and promised never to speak to Mello again.

He had repaired "Mello" and Linda's relationship in the time he had been here, but now, Linda wanted "Mellina" to meet Mello- something that would not be possible. Therefore, he needed to come up with a way to make Linda cut off ties with "Mellina."

"That's why I need your help to come up with something," Mello told him, blue eyes shining with hope. "No one else here knows I'm actually a man, and I can't confide in them. I need your help, because you're the only one I can trust. You need to… I don't know, elope with me or something before Linda finds out that I'm her courter that's been posing as her friend! Imagine the shock and scandal if someone were to find out that I've been masquerading as a girl and going to a girl's school!"

"…I'm afraid that I've not a clue what to do," L admitted, shaking his head. "I can't pretend elope with you, because I'm too well- known and it would be suspicious if I were to get married, only to have my bride disappear suddenly. There's no way I can think of to force this Miss Mellryn to not want you to meet her newly-reconciled courter. I'm sorry," L apologized, looking just a tad overwhelmed. He had been expecting a nice, impromptu visit to his nephew at the most- not something like this.

"So what do I do?!" Mello wailed, distraught. "If we don't do something, there's no telling what she'll do! She might batter me to death with that horrid pink purse she takes everywhere with her!"

"If I may-" Light interjected, eyeing both of them speculatively, a plan forming in his mind. Mello turned to eye him speculatively, blonde eyebrow quirking in suspicion.

"And just who the hell are you?" Mello asked standoffishly, eyes flicking between L and Light. "I've never seen you before…"

"He's my assistant," L explained, gesturing vaguely with his hand to Light. "Don't worry, you can trust him."

Mello's distraught face immediacy turned suspicious as he examined Light, noticing his non-English features. "A foreigner?" Mello scoffed, eyeing Light with some distaste.

Light's eyes narrowed, and he was about to reply with a scathing reply of his own when L cut him off before he could speak.

"Mello," he said sharply, giving his nephew a warning look. "Light is my assistant as well as a very good friend, and if you do not take care to treat him with the respect he deserves, I shall abandon you to your fate and leave you to fend for yourself."

A subtle warmth spread through Light at L's shockingly defensive words, and he smiled slightly at the back of L's head fondly. It was reassuring to know that L thought more of him than simply a useful servant, and made him happy.

Though… Light felt a stray thought flit through his mind, disappointment at being thought of as only a friend. Perhaps he had been hoping for more… No, he knew he was looking for more, though he was unsure if he would ever find that with L.

L had finished his silent staring match with Mello, and the blonde sighed. "I apologize, uncle. By all means, if you trust him, then I will as well. What do you have in mind?" he asked Light, tilting his head to address the vampire. Mello's question ripped him from his thoughts, making him aware that L and his nephew awaited his input, now that he was free to talk.

Shaking his head to clear his mind of distracting thoughts, he turned to address L's nephew. "You had quite the… ingenious idea, Mello," he told the blonde, "at least at first, until things went to hell and now you're in danger of being bludgeoned to death by Miss Mellryn's posh pink purse and her shocked sensibilities. But L does have a point. It would look suspicious if 'L' came to get you. But what if… we were able to ruin Mellina's and Linda's relationship so that she would no longer consider you a friend?"

"What do you mean?"

"Mello, in your time here among these teenaged ladies, what was the thing that ruined the most friendships?"

"I don't know… jealousy, maybe? There are a lot of girls who get absolutely pissed at one another when they profess that someone else is their friend or hate each other because one is prettier than the other. Girls are odd creatures."

"Exactly," Light said. Folding his arms, he raised a finger to his chin, tapping it thoughtfully as his mind raced, a plan clicking into place. "What if we were to make Miss Mellryn so angry at you, she would rescind her offer to take you to meet her fiancé? If we could get a girl close to you-"

"Sorry Light," Mello interrupted, shaking his head and making his blonde curls whip his face. "That wouldn't work. I've already expressed a profound dislike for the girls here- Linda wouldn't believe that I've become friends with them so suddenly."

"Then," L said, speaking up, "we need to find someone absolutely new to pose as your friend and incite Miss Mellryn's jealous wrath. Damn it, all of my servants are away on leave…"

Light's brows furrowed as he nodded. Yes, a servant would work, but the female ones that would work to pose as a friend Mello's age were away for the weekend. 'Yes," Light agreed. "It's a shame. And judging by your insistence, the sooner it's done is better..."

"She wants to meet tomorrow- she sent a letter to my residence yesterday. I imagine it should be arriving today, and I've already instructed my butler to reply to her if something like a letter such as this came for me, telling her to meet me the next day. So it needs to be today," Mello informed them.

"Right," Light said, musing over what he was told thoughtfully. "It needs to happen today, then. Short notice…" Unconsciously, his eyes went over to Mello, examining the dress, and an idea hit him, and he then looked to L who was stirring his tea, brows furrowed in thought.

Of course.

It was simple- L was the right age, and he was English, unlike Light himself…

He smirked as the plans in his mind abruptly shifted, settling into place. "I have an idea," he said suddenly. Both young men looked up at him, Mello with hope in his eyes, and it was the blonde Light addressed. "You have a room here, right? Can you take us up there for privacy?"

"Yes," Mello said. "I don't have a roommate, and I can probably smuggle you up there, since all the younger girls are in class." Standing up, he shook out his skirts and flicked his bangs out of his eyes, then gestured to Light and L. "Follow me."

* * *

Light's plan was quite simple; they would dress L up as a female, much like Mello had done, and introduce him as Mello's very best friend that was visiting for the weekend. They would meet Linda, and Mello would continue to ignore her, inciting her jealousy and forcing her to declare Mello and herself no longer friends.

It was quite the ingenious plan, Light thought, and was rather pleased at this cleverness in cooking up the whole scheme.

Silence abounded in the room as Light finished explaining his plan to the two young men, and currently, they were staring at him in shock.

A sudden commotion outside the room forced Mello to curse and jet out to make sure that no one would enter his room and discover him with two men in there- that would cause many, many unneeded problems to crop up.

Alone now, L snapped his head up to gaze at Light with an incredulous expression, his black eyes wide with horror.

"…Vampire," L addressed Light formally, shock lacing his tone. "This is utterly ridiculous. You cannot seriously think I'd be willing to dress as a woman just to get my nephew out of his troubles with his lady friend," L told him with finality, shaking his head.

Light grinned, crossing his eyes and relaxing back as he said, "But think of poor Mello- stupid though his scheme was- being mauled by his upset light o' love. Wouldn't want him to be bludgeoned to death by a pink, frilly purse, would you?" Light cajoled charmingly, feigning horror and imitating someone getting bashed over the head. "Purses are deadly weapons, you know. And think of Mello's shame- death by pink purse! Poor sap would die without a lick of dignity!" Light finished dramatically with a flourish.

L snorted, utterly unimpressed by Light's display of dramatics. "It would be his own fault for his loss of dignity. I refuse- besides, there would be no way I'd pass as a lady. It would be like putting a wolf in sheep's clothing- there'd be no way we can pass me off as a woman."

Light only smiled at this, stepping forwards to grasp L's shoulders. He turned him towards the full-length mirror that was in Mello's room, both men assessing L's reflection. "I don't know, L," Light said speculatively, his eyes raking down L's body's reflection, mentally measuring him up. "We put a bonnet on you, lace you into a corset, stick a few petticoats under a pink dress and voila! We have… Lorena Lawlietta!"

"Lorena Lawlietta?" Mello snorted as he came back into the room, having just heard the last part of the conversation. He flounced onto the bed and situated himself onto it, shuffling around until skirts splayed out and his chin was propped comfortably in his hand. "That's one of the funniest things that I've heard. Uncle L as a girl? Nobody would ever suspect."

"And my reputation would be ruined if they did find out," L deadpanned, jerking out of Light's grip. "I would not be able to show my face in public if I were found out, much less compose music and have it accepted by the public. No. I refuse. I'm sorry Mello," L said apologetically, turning away from a smirking Light, who eyed L, seeing a sudden opportunity, "but you'll have to come up with something else."

Suddenly, L was grabbed by the waist from behind, and Light tossed him onto the bed so quickly that L didn't have a chance to react. Mello gaped upon seeing Light's unnatural speed, but he quickly recovered as L stared struggling, yelling muffled obscenities as Light turned to him, a desperate expression on his face. "Come on! What are you waiting for?! Go pick out a dress and help me get him into it!"

Mello was frozen for a second before his eyes lit up and he nodded in understanding, racing off to his closet.

"Light! Let me go this instant, you blasted vamp-!" L started, shouting in his annoyance.

"Shh!" Light gritted out, shoving L's head into a lacy pillow to muffle L's words, shooting a quick glance over at Mello, who was riffling through his closet. "Don't let him know, idiot!"

All Light got in return was a muffled mutter, something along the lines of, "sadistic mythological bloodsucker," which made Light grin in amusement. But it only lasted for a second, because L began struggling again, trying to throw Light off of him.

"Here! " Mello said, pulling out a pink, casual dress and a corset. Rushing back, Mello held them up tiumphantly, glancing down at L, suddenly realizing that the situation could provoke certain problems. "How are we going to do this?" Mello asked, watching as Light shifted to pin L's hands behind his back, his knee jammed into the small of the composer's back.

"I don't know!" Light hissed, taking in the corset and dress clutched in Mello's hand. "I don't even know how they work!"

"Right…" Mello said. Of course. Light hadn't been the one cross-dressing for the past few weeks. He would have no clue as to how to put on a corset… though Mello had learned how to do it by himself, as there had been no one to help him do it. It required a lot of flexibility, for sure, which Mello luckily had in abundance.

"I'll need you to hold him up," Mello told Light, and he nodded. Holding L's wrists tightly, Light wrapped his other hand around L's chest and drew him up, into a sitting position. "You'll have to get his clothes off," Light said to Mello. "I can't help, because he'd get free."

"Right…" Mello set aside the corset and dress, eyeing a belligerent-looking L with wariness. He was still right now, but there was a dangerous glint in his eyes that threatened painful death for anyone who came at him with any feminine articles- especially those that were in a certain color of pastel pink.

Whoo, boy.

"Hold him tight," Mello instructed Light, taking a deep breath to brace himself and raised his hands. "We're doing this!"

"What?! No- get away from me, or so help me, Mello-!"

* * *

"Light! Grab the laces! Don't let him free!"

"Damnit, I'm trying!"

"No! Get off me!"

"Can't you restrain him?! Use the laces like reigns if you have to- I don't want to have to re-do his makeup!"

"I don't want makeup! Get that mascara stick away from me! Let me go!"

"Ouch! Rope burn- whoa, get back here!"

"Grab him, Light!"

"What do you think I'm trying to do, you blonde bimbo cross-dresser?! _You_ try holding him!"

"Oh, for- just tug on his laces and it'll make him pass out!"

"What- no! Don't- URK!"

"Too tight?"

"Wha…What… do you…think, you idiot? Urgh-Oh, God I can't breathe! Let it out, let it out! LIGHT!"

"Only if you hold still!"

"Never-! Ouch! Fuck, you got my eye!"

"It's what you deserve for being so stubborn!"

"You're not the one being trussed up like a female, Light! I don't- whoa, hey, what are you doing with _that_ \- NO! Get that frilly thing _away_ from me! What is that, anyway?! Get it off, get it off!"

"Hold your leg still, L- stop shaking it! It's just a garter, it won't hurt you!"

"How do you know?! For all you know, the lace could very well burn! God knows the eyeliner does- fuck, Mello, you got it in my eye! Be careful!"

"Right- done with the makeup- hold him, Light, and I'll get the dress…"

"No! I refuse! You're going too far with this- NO-! Mpmph!"

"Oops. Sorry 'bout that, L. Didn't mean to get it in your mouth…"

"Like hell! Get this pink horror off of me!"

"Light, get the snaps in the back while I fix his hair."

"Right- are we doing the bonnet? Hey! Don't you try to elbow me, you little shit!"

"I'll elbow you if I want- it's my right to self- defense and molestation! No, you are not doing the-"

"No, it would look odd if he were to wear one inside. I'll just do his hair… Molestation, L?"

"What _can_ you do with his hair? It's just kind of…there."

"I agree! You should just leave it alone- No, no, get away from me with that!"

"Ouch, damnit, L, you made me drop the hot iron on myself- no, grab him, Light! He's going for an escape!"

"L-! Come back here! Hey! _Get away from the window,_ you idiot! You're being ridiculous!"

"And dressing me up as a female isn't?! Ack- let go of me!"

"No-urgh, ouch, Damnit, L! Don't kick at me, that hurts!"

"You're thick-skinned, you can take it! If you don't want to get kicked, just let me go!"

"Right, right, hold him there… flatten this section, curl this part in a bit…this looking good?"

"Yeah- FUCK! What the hell, L, did you just BITE me? And- ow, let go, get your damned teeth out of my arm-!"

"Letf phme go anph I'llf fink abouph if."

"Like hell!"

"Ugh, Light… you want me to continue?"

"Go on- NO! Don't you fucking bite harder, you little brat! AUGH!"

* * *

"I hate you both," L hissed an hour later, sitting in a plush chair in the corner and glaring at a panting Light and disheveled Mello ill-temperedly, arms crossed. "I cannot breathe in this corset, the dress is brushing my legs in a most irritating manner, the mascara on my lashes is making them itch, and the eyeliner is stinging."

"Well," Light said, standing up straight and wincing as the movement aggravated a bruise that L had given him on his ribs, "it's done. Damn, L, did you have to kick so hard?" he complained, rubbing his side with a grimace. "That hurts."

"Your body will heal," L said self- satisfiedly, spearing Light with a malicious glare. Yes, his vampire body would heal very quickly; in fact, L suspected that the bruise was already fading, and didn't hurt one whit. However… "My pride, however, shall forever be compromised."

"Oh, shove off it," Mello said, cracking his neck before making his way over to the mirror to fix his hair- which L had messed up in his struggles- and his makeup, which had been smeared by the sweat rolling down his face. "I've had to deal with this every day. What you'll have to deal with for a few hours is nothing."

"And how you did it is something I shall never attempt to comprehend," L muttered, rolling his eyes, frowning as he heaved a huge breath, trying to get the breath that had been choked out with the tightening of the corset back.

"Magic," Mello snarked, sitting down at his mirror and proceeding to fix his make-up.

Taking the chance, Light gave L a once-over, examining him critically to make sure that he looked properly female-like. The black bags of insomnia had been converted into looking like a thin ring of eyeliner, and a slight tilt had been given to L's eyes with eyeliner, making them look catty and almost exotic. His hair had been tamed and flattened, falling to frame his face in gentle waves, and his slim waist and gently curved hips were accentuated by use of the corset Light had trapped him in. The corset's cups had been stuffed, giving L small breasts, and a pink shine was present on L's usually pallid lips, thanks to a light layer of lipstick Mello had been able to get onto him while he had been recovering from the corset's effects.

L made a very alluring woman, to be sure, though the thought that it was still _L_ nderneath the feminine trappings was a very nice thought; and the sight of L and all his smooth, pale skin, clad in just a corset, stockings, and that lacey garter before they had put him into the dress was still burned into Light's mind. He had to force his mind onto other things, lest he be plagued by a sudden and unwanted problem in his nether regions.

Perhaps later, he could dwell on it, in the privacy of his own room, but not here. This was not the appropriate time.

"So," Mello said, turning around to give L a smirk. "How does it feel to be a female?"

L opened his mouth to reply, but not wanting to get into the middle of a catfight or anything of that sort, Light quickly spoke, cutting them both off. In a way, he was thankful for the distraction from thoughts of L's exposed body, as well.

"Alright," he said, silencing both of them. "L's in a dress- that much is done. Now," he continued, ignoring L's venomous glare at the mention of him in a dress, "this is what we need to do…"

* * *

"Linda! Linda!" Mello burst in the room, a large, beaming grin on his face, followed by a stoic-looking Light and a (forcedly) smiling L.

Linda turned around, her eyes going straight to Mello, not noticing her friend's two companions at first. "Ah, Mellina! I haven't seen you all day! Are you prepared to meet my- oh, who is this?" she cut herself off, suddenly noticing Light and L.

Mello grinned, and in a high-pitched voice, gestured behind her and introduced the two to Linda. "Linda, I'd like you to meet Miss Lorena Lawlietta and Yagami Light, a visiting Japanese ambassador. Lorena is visiting from her family's estate- and Mr. Yagami is being hosted by them, and thought he'd come along. He's searching for a bride, and thought that an English wife would do well to strengthen relations between the countries- he's very, very important over there, you know," and this last part was whispered almost conspiratorially, lending just the right amount of effect to the lie.

Linda's face fell as she examined L critically, gaze skimming over his form. L flinched, hoping that he passed suitably as a female. He couldn't care less if he was considered ugly or pretty as a female- he just wanted this whole farce over with so he could rip the goddamned corset off. He couldn't breathe, goddamnit!

"Oh. Oh. I …I see." Linda said, face falling. She turned to Mello and whispered, just quiet enough so that L couldn't hear what she was saying, "Mellina, just who is she to you?"

"Lorena?" Mello said, pretending to be taken aback, and then she smiled and tittered, "Oh, we've been best friends from birth. Our mothers went together in school, and so when they were married and had us, it was only natural that we became the best of friends. We're quite like sisters!" he finished in a light, airy voice.

Linda's face fell even further, and she threw a small, quick, disproving glance over at L. "Oh. Is she going to be coming along with us on Sunday?"

"Oh, that…" Mello feigned despair, saying, "I shan't be able to attend that. Since Lorena is visiting for such a short time, I had to cancel meeting your fiancé as Lorena and I have made plans to have a day out. You understand, right, Linda?" Mello patted Linda's arm in a conciliatory manner, eyes wide with innocent hope.

"Do I understand?" Linda mocked venomously, yanking her arm away from Mello's. the blonde had to resist giving a pleased grin as it appeared things were going exactly according to plan. "Oh, I understand. In fact, I'll leave you and your precious Lorena alone to have some time together," she spat, and then turned to Light, putting on a sickly-sweet smile, but not before shooting L a hateful glare. "Mr. Yagami! Shall I entertain you while Miss Lawlietta and Mellina get caught up?"

"What-?" Light asked, snapping back to attention as his arm was gripped in a death-grasp, suddenly being pulled along by a determined young woman. He glanced back at L, horrified and amber eyes begging for help. L could do nothing but watch, shrugging a bit as he was helpless to do anything.

Though, he felt the slightest bit of sadistic satisfaction at the thought of Light being bored tortuously by Miss Mellryn. Revenge for the corset incident.

"Come along! I'll serve you some proper English tea!" Linda chirper faux-cheerfully, dragging Light along behind her. They exited the room, heading for the main parlor where guests were entertained, leaving behind a very shocked Mello and L.

"…Um," Mello said unsurely.

"Well," L said, speechless in the wake of Linda's wrath.

"It seems like…" Mello said, trailing off…

"Poor Light," L nodded.

"Things have taken quite the complicated turn, haven't they?" Mello sighed, shaking his head. "And here I was, hoping this would be simple."

L looked over to Mello, favoring him with a dry look and quirked eyebrow. "With _you_ , Mello, _nothing_ is ever simple."

* * *

L sort of had an idea to get Light out of the fix he was in. Though, to prevent Mello from screwing anything else up, he sent him along, telling him the carriage was waiting for them and to go home, and to then instruct the carriage driver to come back for them.

Mello happily agreed, eager to escape the "prison" he had been cooped up in for the past few weeks.

And then, L made his way carefully down the hall and to the parlor, dodging a few girls and maids on the way. Poking his head around the doorframe, he saw Linda sitting alone on a sofa, a pleased smile on her face and sipping on a cup of tea complacently.

He was considering risking Linda's wrath and going in to see where Light had gone, and was just taking the first steps in when he was suddenly grabbed round the waist, large hand clamped over his mouth, and was dragged around the corner, back hitting a solid wall of flesh as their momentum made them fall back against the wall.

He was just about to shout out alarm, when he paused as he thought he recognized the press of the body against his. He knew someone of this height and muscle tone…

"You idiot!" a familiar voice hissed in his ear, reinforcing L's guess as to who the person was. "I just managed to get away from her! Don't go in there, for God's sake!"

The hand was removed and L whipped around to see a haggard-looking Light, cravat askew and a few of his jacket's buttons opened. "Light?" L asked quietly, alarmed at the disheveled sight of his assistant and friend. "What happened?"

Scratching the back of his head, Light looked away, wincing. "She confessed her undying love to me and then proceeded to attack me in a lustful craze."

Raising and eyebrow, L shook his head. "No, I'm serious, Light." This was no time for games.

"That was me being serious."

Apparently Light wasn't joking. Well, then.

"Oh." L grimaced at the thought.

"Indeed," Light shuddered. "Apparently, my supposed position in the foreign government has set her passion for me aflame- bloody gold-digging wench…"

"Mr. Yagami? Are you around? You've been gone for quite a while!" Linda's voice reached their ears and both men froze, hearts stopping in panic. Linda couldn't be allowed to find them!

L was the first to recover ad tentatively stepped closer to the door, Light right behind him, sucking in a breath in slight apprehension. A thought hit L suddenly- Miss Mellryn was still being courted by Mello. How would his nephew react to the news that she had taken to Light so passionately and so suddenly?

"Shit," L hissed, poking his head out to look around the corner. "I can't believe things have gone this way- oh, Mello's going to be furious…" he mused, glancing back at a blanching Light. "Who would have guessed that Miss Mellryn would have fallen for you at first sight…?"

"Urgh," Light whispered back, looking distinctly queasy, eyeing the searching form of Linda with great distaste. "She's quite horrid. I distinctly felt her pinch my derriere when I turned my back to her earlier. How disgusting," Light shuddered. "Ugh."

"Shh!" L said hastily, pushing Light back around the corner as he saw Linda's head turn to the door they were at. Light's eyes widened in shock as their momentum forced his back against the wall once more, L pressed right up against him. Smoothed, flattened black locks brushed over his neck, and the smell of L's skin reached his nose, the proximity making his gums ache and his eyes slip shut as he inhaled deeply, taking in L's scent. Oh, God… Focus, Light, focus on other things…"I think she might have-"

"Mr. Yagami?" Linda's voice reached their ears and Light's eyes snapped open and over to the corner, where his keen hearing could hear her moving closer. "Are you there, Mr. Yagami?"

"Oh, damn," L muttered, looking up at Light frantically, tilting his head and craning his neck upwards. "What are we going to do? Mello's gone by now so he can't distract her, and if she catches you, we'll never get out of here-"

"Do you trust me?" Light suddenly asked, a plan flashing to mind, amber eyes intent as he stared down at L.

"With my life," L answered unhesitatingly. "You've not betrayed my trust in your years with me, and I've placed my life in your hands more times than I can count."

"Good. I have an idea to get us out of this situation, but I need you not to panic or struggle, alright?" Light whispered urgently, wincing as he heard Linda get closer.

"Yes," L nodded, and that was enough for Light.

With unnatural speed, he grasped L's shoulders and flipped them around, pressing L against the wall. The composer let out a soft "oomph" as the air was somewhat knocked out of him as his back hit the wall, but before he had time to react, Light had slammed his lips against L's, body pressing L's slim one into the wall.

L was frozen for all of a moment before his eyes widened phenomenally as it hit him that he was being kissed by his assistant, who was both male- and a vampire. Somehow, it wasn't disturbing as it should have been to him- it actually was quite… pleasant, if he were to be perfectly honest.

The vampire's lips were warm and soft- there was not a hint of fang, like L might have thought, though he had never imagined this situation occurring before- and firm to the feel. But as it were, the whole thing came as a shock to L, who stood frozen as Light grasped his waist, pulling him closer even as he drew back to hiss, amber eyes burning and intense, "Kiss me back, idiot- Linda'll be around that corner any time now!"

Linda- oh!

Light's scheme hit him suddenly, and L nodded once in comprehension. He wanted to throw Linda off by having her see him with another female- or someone she thought was a female. And that it Mello's- whom she now hated- friend, it would only serve to make her dislike Light all the more.

Catching on, L hesitantly- this was so odd, so very odd and yet it felt… not odd, so very confusing- raised his arms up and grasped onto the back of Light's neck, fingers tangling in the silky, light brown strands. They felt very nice, L thought, brows furrowing as he rubbed them inbetween his fingers. Almost as silky and smooth as the blue silk sheets in his room and-

Oh.

Light's lips pressed once more against his own, firm and insistent. His tongue came out to prod at L's still ones even as he pressed L harder into the wall, hands tightening around L's waist. His thumb rubbed little circles into his waist, and he could feel the touch even through the layers of dress fabric and corset, sending pleasant tingles all along his skin. Light's eyes flicked up once to meet L's and he saw that there was an odd glint in the limpid amber depths, almost desperate, and if he were correct… _hungry_.

He made a small sound in the back of his throat at the sight, it sparking a slight heat starting to pool in his stomach.

If he had more time to ponder upon it, L probably would have been shocked by the way he was responding to Light's- a vampire and his assistant!- kiss. But his brain haywired as the insistent tongue prodding at his lips forced them open, and Light was able to catch his bottom lip between his teeth, pressing firmly down upon it with sharp canines.

Shocked at the enjoyable feeling it produced, L's eyes slipped closed and he felt Light's free hand slide up his side and to his neck, lingering there for a moment and tracing the sharp outline of his clavicle, before continuing upwards, and nestling into thick black locks that fell straight and orderly for the first time in their life.

Light's teeth retracted from his lips and then his mouth was invaded by a warm, smooth tongue, rubbing firmly over his own. He recoiled for a moment- how odd, this whole thing was, this act of clashing tongues and pressing lips- but then, as only a flash of heat spread through his body at the combined feeling of Light's body against his own and warm lips meshing with his, he relaxed and simply enjoyed it, eventually becoming brazen enough to reciprocate the action, tentatively pressing forwards with his body and moving his own tongue to twine with Light's.

The action evoked a low, growling sort of noise from the back of Light's throat that was oddly thrilling, and the hands in his hair and around his waist tightened even further, pulling him more into the vampire's body.

L had no idea where it would have gone from there, what course of action may have been taken if Linda had not rounded the corner at that exact moment and let out a loud gasp, covering her mouth with a dainty, lace-covered hand.

Light froze at the sound, burning amber eyes opening and staring into hazy, heavy-lidded black ones. L's lips still shone with a thin sheen of saliva, reddned and swollen and still so very tempting- he wanted nothing more than to press his own against them once more, explore the inner cavern of L's sinfully hot mouth- no.

He paused for a split second, forcing himself back into the present situation- _it's a ruse, it's a ruse, acting, acting, actor, center stage, cue the actress's entrance-_ and away from thoughts of allowing himself to slide his lips over and mouth L's smooth neck, feel the heartbeat under his lips before biting down and taking his lovely blood.

But he banished those thought and forced himself to calm down, to take back his control. The grip on L's body loosened and Light slowly pulled his head away, turning to regard Linda with feigned shock. He didn't let L's waist or hair go, though- there was still the need to reinforce what, exactly, he and L had been doing, and if the thought that it was mainly because he just didn't want to let go wriggled its way insidiously into his mind, he ignored it.

"Miss Mellryn?" Light exclaimed with feigned horror. "What are you- I don't-"

Linda's eyes flashed between Light and L, taking in their compromising position- and her eyes narrowed upon seeing who, exactly, it was with Light- and then she stepped forwards, glaring at Light furiously. "You are vile!" she hissed, fists clenching.

Unconsciously, Light's lip started to curl and he pulled L closer, wary of what the female was going to do. If she tried to attack L, attack his Accorded… it might not turn out so well for Miss Mellryn indeed.

It was weird, the way being around L had changed him so much. 5 years ago, he never would have thought about defending a human being like this- not because he cared about that human so much. He would have done it to save their life, yes, but not to protect against a hurt or stain to the name, as Light had done just last night.

L was changing him, and Light wasn't sure if it was for the better or worse.

Linda stopped, leveling a vicious glare at L, and then at Light. "You are a disgusting man, Mr. Light Yagami, and you, Miss Lorena Lawlietta, are a harlot of the worst sort- a veritable Jezebel! Seducing the very man who lives in your home! I want you both to leave this minute!" she hissed venomously, and Light had the good grace to feign abashedness and nod.

His hand slipped down from L's hair and to his wrist, holding it gently as he pulled L along with him, away from the wall and making their hasty escape outside.

L's carriage was waiting for them, luckily, and Light helped L up as any gentleman would for a lady, just in case someone were watching. He then went around the side and slipped into the carriage, gesturing at the driver to start going home as he did so.

"What the hell was that?" L asked quietly once they Light situated himself into the carriage. L was forced to sit normally because of the dress he still wore, but he leaned forwards, hands propped on his knees to regard Light more seriously.

"What the hell was what?" Light asked carefully, feigning ignorance in an attempt to deflect the question. L knew what he was about, though, because he shook his head, silently indicating that he would not allow for nay of Light's evasions.

"Do not deflect, vampire," L said seriously. "What was that kiss?" There had seemed to be more to it than simply a diversionary tactic, an undercurrent of desperation and…and... something else L couldn't put a name to in Light's bearing and insistent demeanor. Whatever it was, it was confusing, and L hated being confused.

"A means to get Linda off my back so we could make our daring escape," Light said in a light tone, attempting to add some levity to the situation and ease some of the tension between them. He had hoped L would just dismiss it, but Light wasn't that lucky.

"Yes, I understand that," L said, giving a sharp nod, before his eyes narrowed, examining Light keenly. Under the scrutiny of L's black eyes, he felt very small, as if he were being picked apart. "But there was no means to get so very… animated about it, as you did," L continued.

"…Vampires are very physical creatures, L," Light said carefully, choosing his words with great care, intending to give L enough information to appease him, if not answer L's direct question, "if you've not noticed from how much I touch you. It's been quite a long time since I've had such close contact with another living being, and I allowed myself to be overcome. I apologize for any discomfort this has caused you," Light finished, holding his breath as L leaned back, lids lowering in contemplation as he digested this slice of information Light had given him.

"…I… see. Then I suppose it is my turn to apologize, isn't it? Both for overreacting and for not allowing you enough leave to go about your business as you wish." L kept his eyes on Light's face as he talked, watching the vampire's handsome face for any nuance of expression.

"What…?" Light asked, admittedly confused by L's vague words.

L held up a single finger, continuing on where he had left off as if Light hadn't spoken. "I only ask that you not bring any women directly to the manor, as that could cause unwanted rumors."

Light stared at L, his face a picture of shock. Whatever he had been expecting, it certainly wasn't this! And the fact that L had been the one to suggest something like this… it only painfully reinforced the fact that L was growing up, taking leaps and bounds and maturing so very fast, right before Light's eyes. L wasn't the child he used to know; he was warping into something older and more mature and…

"…Jesus Christ, L. When did you grow up? What happened to the innocent little brat I used to know?" Light whispered, stunned that L had been brazen enough to suggest something like that.

"I grew up. It's something we humans do," L said dismissively, turning away to gaze out the window. Light watched him keenly, a weight settling into his stomach. Yes; he was aware L was growing up. It was almost painful, so see him change from a bright, innocent, wide-eyed child into this… this… adult, this disturbingly alluring, knowledgeable, _appealing_ young adult.

"Just make sure to inform me if you need to take a night of leave," L said, raising a thumb to nibble at the soft flesh as he thought. The sudden words snapped Light's attention back to L, and shock passed over his face. Was L really telling him…?! But he had to stay by L's side per their Accord!

"But, the Accord- I am to assist you-" Light spluttered, but L cut him off.

"Yes, but you do what I tell you to, correct? And I want you to tell me if you need a night off every now and then. It's a need every living creature has, and as you told me, vampires are physical creatures. If you need something like sex, it's only natural, Light. I won't hold it against you. It was never my intention to deprive you of something you needed to survive. Can't have my assistant dying on me or being displeased, now, can I?" L said lightly, giving a small smile, but there was an odd flicker within his eyes, quickly smothered and gone before Light had a chance to analyze it.

But if Light had to say, it was almost… uncertainty? Regret?

Did he regret giving Light free reign to indulge in darker pleasures if he wished? Why…? Why would L think to do that, and why would he explicitly tell Light that he wouldn't hold it against him if he chose… to…

No.

L wouldn't do something like that, would he? Did he not understand what he was subtly implying, what he was unconsciously offering?

"L," Light started, but the look L leveled him was enough to make him snap his mouth shut, though he was still stunned. He was unsure if what he thought L was trying to silently convey to him was correct, but his uncertain posture, the regret "I…understand," Light said, carefully, hesitantly.

He would wait, make sure that his thoughts were actually in line with L's before even thinking it.

But even so…

"If that's what you want me to do, L," Light said vaguely, settling back and looking away, "then I'll do it."

"As I wish, of course?" L said, tilting his head back to look at Light more fully, wide black eyes locked onto Light. There was a subtle note of teasing in his words, a light attempt to poke fun, but when Light looked back at L with shuttered eyes hiding some unknown emotion, the friendly feeling L had been attempting to create died a dismal death within the carriage, replaced with a sort of odd tension.

" _Always_ as you wish, Lawliet."


	5. Symphony 5: Missa Sánguinum

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A few days after the incident at Jessica's School for Ladies, L is playing his piano in his music room, but is unable to finish the piece due to being interrupted by thoughts of Light. And then, he is interrupted by the vampire himself, and Light's presence leads to L breaking down and spilling his confusing thoughts. Light, disturbed at seeing L as he is, calms him down and seems to dismiss L's words until another time, when L seems more ready to talk about it. However, being near L causes Light's hunger to ignite, and as L remembers some previously spoken words by Light, it leads to L making an unprecedented offer- to allow Light to take from his throat. Things spiral out of control as that, combined with unconsciously-provoking words from L makes Light snap. Things get heated, but things, perhaps, take a turn for the better, at least for now…

L scowled as he bent over his piano, his fingers and feet moving, working the keys and pedals of the piano effortlessly, though his mind was not truly there, instead lost in his own complicated thoughts. His long, slim fingers danced over the keys, drawing forth an intricate melody from the instrument, feet working the pedals in perfect harmony with his fingers to weave and blend the notes together.

He knew this piece well- it was one he had composed himself, a personal piece that had traveled from his heart to be expressed by his fingers, his tools of music. He counted himself fortunate that he had been able to remember this certain nameless piece, for often when he lost himself in his playing, he could scarcely remember what musical melody his hands had wrung out from his beloved piano.

It was like the faintest wisp of a remembrance of a dream. L had often, within his own mind, likened it to the frustrating feeling one felt while grasping at a curl of smoke.

 _You know it's there, but you can't feel or truly grasp it. It evaporates from your grip and out of your sight before you have a chance to truly experience it,_ L thought ill-humoredly, fingers still flowing mindlessly upon the keys, weaving in and out between black sharps and flats and white naturals as easily as he breathed.

Such was the feeling of trying to remember what he had composed, unless he was consciously writing a new work.

Pale lips tugged upwards into a peaceful, if not somewhat dismal smile as his thoughts wandered aimlessly. L failed to notice the near-silent footsteps come to a halt outside his closed workroom door. A head was cocked, ear listening intently to the sounds being wrung from the strings of the piano, and then the door was silently pushed open to better hear the flowing melody. It was peaceful and steady and resolute as an ancient river, yet somehow, inexplicably hopeful, as if that river was to become something more substantial.

L's eyes drifted open and mindlessly, he watched his fingers move fluidly upon the worn ivory keys gracefully and with an ease born of many years of playing.

One of the worst tortures L could imagine was having any part of his hands or fingers damaged. His eyes, while some would argue as being more important, he could live without. He could easily seek out the keys on a piano and play them as if they were old friends, and for his composing, well, he could always have Light write down his music.

God, Light…

His fingers came to a slow stop upon the keys, stuttering in their movements and losing the perfect flowing rhythm they had built up. Jerked out of his concentration by thoughts of the vampire that was his assistant, L narrowed his eyes at the keys, a swell of confusing, turbulent feelings roiling within his stomach and welling up in his heart, disrupting his calm of mind.

"That was beautiful. Why did you stop?"

L's head snapped up, whipping around to see Light leaning causally in the doorway to his music room. The vampire looked pristine as always, hair neatly arranged and falling into his eyes almost rakishly, black coat and trousers clean and neat, posture so relaxed and casual. Yet, L knew from personal experience that the vampire could strike faster than a snake- and was far more deadly than one, as well.

"This… this is a piece that was composed when my mind and heart and body were calm. As such, it can only be played perfectly when I am in the same state that I was when it first was composed," L explained, looking back down and running a finger over the smooth keys polished and worn down by years of continuous use and playing.

Light's eyebrows drew downwards at that, lovely, slanted eyes narrowing in confusion. "…You're not at peace?" he enquired, though it was calm and asked softly in his melodic tenor, not demanding. It instead quietly invited him to answer at his leisure.

Yet L felt that it needed to be answered. Hands still resting peacefully upon the ivory keys, feeling their smoothness and the warmth that had been transferred from his fingertips to them while playing, he sighed. How could he be, after all that had been said, after all that had occurred?

"I said as much, didn't I?" L replied quietly, crafting his words carefully so as to not give anything away.

Evasiveness and carefully crafted words; L sometimes felt that their relationship was a friendship that was built upon unspoken words, unexpressed feelings, and blood-bonded loyalty. L both feared and craved the day that relationship would fall apart, only to be rebuilt into something more. What that something more was, he was not sure. But he had left the meaning of his words spoken that day open and ambiguous for a purpose.

_It's a need every living creature has, and as you told me, vampires are physical creatures. If you need something like sex, it's only natural, Light. I won't hold it against you._

No… whatever Light chose, L would not hold it against him. Even if… No. The vampire… he was the one person L had left in the world, the one person who would stand by his side no matter what, even if it was due to an Accord and not out of any feelings of personal loyalty.

Light smiled then, a simple curling of his full lips, amber eyes crinkling slightly at the sides in acknowledgement of his useless question and L's retort. He pushed off of the doorframe and stepped into the room, shifting from at rest to in motion as easily as L could shift his music from _largo_ to _vivacissimo_ and back again. Light often reminded him of his music, and perhaps that was why the notes and melodies and harmonies always came so easily to him.

Reading a newspaper or book, sitting peacefully in his red chair- _moderato_. Steady and calm, uncomplicated and unwavering.

Teasing, provoking, or otherwise bantering with him- _andante_. Lighthearted and familiar, but not too fast, just enough to engage and keep uplifting.

Laughing, grinning, with a teasing lilt to his voice- _allegro_. Light and happy, quick and fast.

When he took blood, his silken, hot lips tracing over his wrist, ivory fangs that threatened to put the loveliness of his beloved piano keys to shame sinking gloriously into his skin- _largo_. Slow and peaceful, blood drawn relentlessly from his body into Light's, possessing a haunting closeness and intimacy to it.

Yes. Light was… he was in an indirect way, L's music. He was his music brought to flesh, his inspiration for whatever he chose to write. A simple memory of Light could influence the direction of his whole music; that reliance on the vampire, though, was both discomfiting and comforting. Light would be around forever; vampires were immortal, Light had once told him. Yet, at the same time, to rely on someone so heavily- even if that person were unaware of their influence- for his career… without his music, L was nothing.

He was simply another member of the aristocracy, another grain of sand in the world's beaches. Earls were numerous; the composer L was not. L was worldwide; L was known and revered and _could not_ be overlooked.

He would be at the top of the world, transcending into the heavens.

But unlike many that had achieved that status, he would not fall. He would not be doomed to become a falling star, shooting across the sky of fame and burning brightly for a moment and then fading as soon as another star surpassed their fading beauty.

He would become a permanent fixture in that sky; mankind would marvel at his music long after he had died. People would whisper his name, his moniker "L" long after his body had crumbled to dust and his skeleton was falling to pieces deep within his grave.

"L? Are you listening? Or are you hearing something else besides my voice?" Light's amused, long-suffering voice drew him out of thoughts, and he craned his neck to look up, blinking as he was met with Light's amber eyes so very close to his own. They seemed to dance with an inner light, warm and limpid.

He leaned over the piano, golden-skinned, strong hands braced on the black, smooth surface of the top. The two colors contrasted beautifully, L thought, though his attention remained largely captured by eyes that were shades darker and much more warmer than the vampire's skin.

"Yes…" L answered, because he didn't know what else to say. It was like that moment days ago when Light's lips had met his- his mind had gone blank under the onslaught of emotions that ripped through every fiber of his being.

Light's eyes were so warm, almost shimmering golden in the lazy afternoon sunlight streaming through the stained glass window that provided much of the light for the room and suddenly, inspiration struck.

"Golden Night…" L breathed, tearing his eyes away from Light's. He returned his attention back to the piano, gently spreading his fingers and running them in between the black and white keys in gentle motions.

Light blinked, a perfectly arched eyebrow raising, thinking he had misheard the eccentric composer. He had no idea what had prompted L's sudden words. "Pardon?" he asked, drawing back slightly to regard L's downturned head with a measure of confusion.

L paused in his motions, his mind racing desperately. "Golden Night," L said contemplatively, and though it had started out as a lie, he was quickly warming up to the concept, the idea.

Yes, it could be lovely. Smooth and flowing, lazy- _largo_? No, broad and stately would not fit. Perhaps _adagio_ , at ease, yet still slow would be more fitting- in a warm major key, but with accidentals interspersed throughout the song to give it a somewhat darker feel to fit in with the "night" theme. Warm and dark- like a golden night indeed.

Like Light himself, the vampire who lived in the shadows, and yet was golden-colored physical perfection, a perfect blend of beauty and deadliness.

Realizing he had gotten lost in his thoughts, L tilted his head up, his eyes meeting once more with warm, if not confused, amber. "A new composition. That was what I was contemplating. You're completely correct; I was hearing that instead of your voice. I apologize." The last part was a lie, but there was no harm in posing it as the truth. It would not harm Light to keep the fact that he had been contemplating anything other than a new composition hidden from the vampire's knowledge.

Light blinked once more and then shifted back, drawing himself away from the piano in a single, fluid motion.

Largo. Light… he was _largo_. Smooth and flowing, graceful and unhurried. Most would compare him to a snake, with his sinuous, supple way of moving, but L, who thought in musical terms rather than more realistic terms, could not help but compare the vampire to this tempo, this style of music.

"Hn," Light hummed softly, shaking his head. Caramel-colored hair fell to sway gently across his eyes with the motion, _a piacere_ , at its own pleasure. Yes, everything that involved Light- perhaps it was wrong to think of him as _largo._ _A piacere_ was more fitting, because everything Light did was at his own tempo, his own style, his own pace. At his ease. And _grazioso_ , always, because everything Light did was graceful, like a beautifully constructed composition.

He turned in one fluid motion- Light was hard to define into one term, for there was no term to describe, Light, exactly. The vampire was in his own world, his own classification, beyond human order. Perhaps it was why L, with his mind chocked full of a repertoire of musical language and terms, could not find one to place to Light- because the makers of those terms were human, and Light… was not.

Glancing back over his shoulder, Light's eyes narrowed marginally as he walked to his chair, settling into it. L quirked a brow at that look, silently questioning the vampire. Light simply shook his head, reaching out to pick up the newspaper Watari had brought in earlier that morning.

Silence pervaded the room, then, as Light flipped the first page of the newspaper and L reached out to his sheaf of blank parchments set off on a stand to the side. He gathered his quills, unstoppered his bottle of ink, and laid his sheet of parchment down on the table situated right next to him for this purpose. He dipped his quill into the bottle of ink, set it to parchment, and started to write.

With practiced skill, he drew in the time signature, then a beautifully curling _treble clef_ , and was just starting to write out the tempo for this piece above the staff lines when Light's quiet voice suddenly cut through the thin scratching of L's quill on parchment.

"You were lying."

L's hand froze upon the parchment, his eyes widening at the blunt, unfounded accusation. Tilting his head up, L narrowed his eyes at the vampire that was gazing thoughtfully over at him. What cause could Light have had for this?

And he did not appear angry, simply contemplative, as if he were figuring the reason needed for him to say that L was lying.

"Excuse me?" L asked, disbelief threading his tone, lacing it with shock. His quill dripped ink onto the parchment, and L let out a soft curse as the ink splattered, blotting out the lines of the staff and his lovely _clef._

Quickly, he set it aside and snatched the parchment up. _Lamentoso_ \- it aptly described his mood as he surveyed the ruined parchment, lamenting the loss of his work. Ah, he'd have to start all over.

Light sighed, reaching up to brush the bangs out of his eyes, the motion drawing L's eyes back to the vampire and away from his ruined parchment. "Just now, when I asked you what you were thinking about. You were lying."

L stopped, eyeing the vampire with a blend of irritation and wariness. Ah, he thought he knew where this was leading… he was going to ask what L was thinking about. Such was Light- leading, leading, leading with questions and words until he forced the truth out. _Crescendo_ , at its finest.

"That is an unfounded accusation," L told him snidely, hastening to turn his attention back to his ruined sheet of music. With a melancholic sigh, L wadded it up- contemplated chucking it at the blasted vampire briefly- but then tossed it off to the side instead.

Light smirked, then, setting aside his newspaper and leaning forwards. "No, no it wasn't. I've been with you long enough, L, long enough to tell when you're lying. And just now, you were. You were thinking about something other than your new composition."

L was unable to help the wince that flashed momentarily over his face. And the vampire had always called him astute… it was disconcerting, sometimes, how closely the vampire appeared to watch him sometimes, could determine what he was thinking or not thinking.

"And what, then, do you think I was contemplating?" L asked, spearing Light with an annoyed glance.

Light shook his head, setting aside his newspaper and standing up to wander over to the piano, where L was situated. He leaned against the side of it, wholly relaxed, though there was a deep flicker of suspicion evident in the depths of his eyes and in the set of his face.

"I don't know- I said I can tell when you're lying, L," Light told him, "and that's simply a matter of reading body language. I don't read minds- I don't know what you were thinking about." And here Light turned speculative, brows furrowing as he thought. "But whatever it was, I don't think it was entirely pleasant."

Light smiled then, raising a hand to brush lightly, so very lightly over the space between L's brows. Slightly tickling, the pads of Light's fingers were somewhat rough and very warm, causing L to give a little shudder, though he wondered why now the touch provoked such a reaction when it had not before. Before the kiss. That might have been the reason why- though L knew that it was the cause for certain. "You get this little crease here, right between your eyes when you-"

L, unable to stand the gentle brush of Light's fingers over his skin and the warm feelings it evoked within him, slapped Light's hand away, shifting back upon the piano bench. He glared up at Light through jagged, ink-black fringe. The vampire had recoiled and appeared shocked at L's drastic action, shock flitting through amber eyes.

"Don't! Why do you always persist in touching me?" L said sharply, clenching his fists.

Light's amber eyes narrowed into slits at that, though he made no attempt to retaliate. He simply pushed his body away from the reclining position it had taken up next to the piano, crossing his arms and regarding L with a shuttered, appraising look. It was a look that L loathed with every fiber of his being, because he knew that behind that look, Light was assessing, analyzing him. "I wasn't aware that you were averse to it," Light carefully said, crafting his words with tentative care.

L's own eyes narrowed upon that, hand clenching around the edges of the piano bench. No, calm- he needed to be calm, because Light was watching and he sincerely, desperately hoped that Light wouldn't figure out the reason behind his sudden aversion to being touched by him. But deep down, he knew that sooner or later, Light would figure it out- he was too brilliant not to, to draw the line between the aversion and... and _that_ event. "I am, and I'd appreciate it if you refrained from doing so!" L hissed out- if nothing else, perhaps he could prevent Light from touching him anymore.

"…L. What is wrong with you?"

"What's wrong…?" Something collapsed within L and he gave a shaky, dismal laugh, bowing his head and raising his hands to tangle in his fringe that was desperately in need of a trim. He wanted... he needed to simultaneously hide his eyes from Light's probing gaze and have something to occupy his hands with. "Everything's wrong, Light. Everything," he breathed out shakily. The vampire had no idea…

"L?" asked tentatively- _tenerezza_ ran wildly through L's mind for brief moment- and there was the smallest, lightest brush of fingers over his shoulder. A dark smile twisted L's lips- trust the vampire to disregard what he said in favor of doing what he thought was right. Vampires truly did play by no rules other than the ones that pleased them- not even the ones that their Accorded laid out for them, though. Usually, he didn't care, but…

Not now, though. L didn't need comfort right now. He needed to be left alone, he needed time to be rewound so that they could go back and change things so that Light wouldn't… so that the _kiss_ had never happened.

That kiss… L laughed dismally, finally finding the courage to admit the root of his problems. It was that, that single action, that had turned L upside down so badly. He was so confused-!

The outpouring of words were unable to be helped then, as L looked up through his fingers, glaring at Light, seeing him as the source of the problem L was struggling with. "I can't write- I can't play, I can't think, all because there are these thoughts, these perverse thoughts running through my mind, distracting me and rendering me unable to think. I can't- God, Light, why- did you have to kiss me that day?!" L hissed vehemently, drawing in a shuddering breath at the end, because his lungs were strained for air.

Light recoiled, blinking, before he tentatively leaned forwards once more, disbelief in his eyes, masking a small flicker of surfside satisfaction. "L- what are you saying?"

The vampire had to be feigning stupidity- L had clearly laid it out there, for him to see, for him to take the blame for! In a small corner of his mind, L knew that he was only digging himself deeper into a hole, but at this point, the flow of words refused to ebb, to dry up and cease. "I can't fucking concentrate, Light! It's your fault! You occupy my mind every hour of every day, and that's not how it should be! I don't want this! I don't want thoughts of how it felt when you kissed me that day dominating my thoughts, and I sure as hell-"

Light's eyes widened a margin more and seeing L's face go even paler as the words didn't stop and L failed to inhale even one breath, shoulders shaking, Light's hands flashed out and grabbed ahold of L's shoulders, giving them a sharp shake. The words did cut off, then, and L gasped, taking in desperately needed lungfuls of air.

Light stared straight into L's eyes, worry apparent within the vampire's amber depths. He had never been like this before; he wasn't sure to handle L when in this state. "L!" he exclaimed, and then more calmly, "L. Breathe, please. You'll hyperventilate and pass out. Passing out damages the brain, you know. We can't have that, can we?" Giving a slightly shaky smile, Light continued, forcing a measure of levity into his voice in an attempt to calm L down, "Your music might come out wonky if the instrument that created it was damaged."

L gasped once and then shuddered, slowly forcing his breathing to calm, to slow and take in deep, calming breaths of air. Light was relieved- that outburst of words… it disturbed Light. L had never been that way before, that distraught and broken down.

Shaking his head, L blinked once, and then he muttered, still somewhat breathless, "Light… my mind is not an instrument."

Seeing L regain some measure of composure, Light gave a small smile, starting to release L's shoulders.

"It might as well be, for all the music that comes out of it." Mildly teasing and overall humorous- _scherzando_. Light reminded him of that often, as the vampire seemed to have a natural affinity for brevity and a love of prodding at him, forcing him to react.

It was one of the reasons L appreciated Light's company so much, he remembered. No other would dare to poke fun at Earl Loren Lawliet, L, the one of the greatest musical minds in the world. Light was the only one who could do so and not provoke his displeasure.

But L had to smile at Light's words. And he did, his pale lips curling upwards into the smallest smile, eyes slipping shut briefly as he acknowledged Light's humor. "Clever," L nodded, and he sighed, finally feeling his heart settle and breathing calm, mind clearing now that the initial swell of emotions had come and passed. It was like the calm after the storm; the _piano_ that came right after the _fortepiano_ before it rose once more with the _crescendo_ that followed it _._

 _But where will this crescendo lead, I wonder…?_ Was the thought that flashed briefly through L's mind as he looked up to meet Light's eyes.

Light searched his eyes as he drew back slightly, brows quivering and downturned in concern. Ah, there it was, once more- _tenerezza_ , the care and tenderness that the vampire occasionally chose to display. It was one of the mood markings of Light that L liked best. "Are you better?" Light asked softly, and L was once more drawn into the shimmering amber depths of the vampire's eyes.

"Much, yes. Thank you," L forced out, making himself turn away, subtly dislodging Light's hands as he reached out once more for his quill. While he mourned the loss of the warm appendages upon his shoulders- _mesto_ , mournfully, he seemed to be doing that quite often lately- he was glad when Light drew back, taking his distracting presence with him.

Or so L assumed he would…

But the vampire was contrary this time and stayed stubbornly at L's side, gazing down upon him as he attempted to return to his work, retrieving a new piece of parchment and carefully re-doing the clef, time signature, tempo and then, he started on the music itself. It was hard, though, and L found himself hard-pressed to concentrate when Light was standing so very close to him, pulling his attention away from the music he was attempting to create and towards the alluring, very much _there_ presence of the vampire.

And then… there was the small matter of what L had voiced.

He winced as the remembrance of all the words that had spilled from his mouth ran through his mind once more, that horrid confession that he had made when his mind was muddled and heart confused.

A heavy, tense silence settled over the room- if L had to write a piece for the situation a the moment, he would write it to be played _morendo_ , dying, for there was not a marking that would adequately express the tenseness of the situation other than something of such magnitude.

He tried to concentrate- he truly did, throwing his whole focus into the music that was swirling in his mind. But every time he tried to write what had been playing through his mind earlier, when he had first uttered the name of the new composition, it came out so dark and dismal instead of warm and golden, as it was meant to be.

Slowly, the scratching of his quill came to a halt upon the parchment, and he sighed. Setting the sharp feather aside, he ran a single, long-fingered hand through his mess of black, feathery hair. There was really no getting around it- he knew the vampire's absolute stubbornness, knew the game he was playing by hovering over L as he was.

It was not a tactic that Light utilized very often, but when he did, it was very effective. There was not much one could do but pay attention to a vampire when the vampire was hovering over you, silently demanding your focus and complete attention.

Without looking up, L absentmindedly shuffled the pieces of paper on the piano around, just to give his hands something to do, and softly spoke the vampire's name to gain his attention. "Light…"

"Yes, L?" Ah, a hasty response. He had been expecting this, then. L winced. It was annoying, that the vampire knew him well enough to be able to foresee his actions based on previous behavioral patterns.

Sighing, L stopped his nervous shuffling and settled back, absentmindedly pressing the pedals of the piano up and down as he thought. "About what I said earlier…" L started, but trailed off when a shake of Light's head was seen out of his peripheral vision.

No? Apparently so.

"No, L." A sigh, and then out of the corner of his eye, he saw Light's arms uncross, his body relaxing from its previous tense position. Relenting? "You don't need to force yourself to explain things. It's fine. I think… I understand."

L, surprised by the vampire's relentment on the issue, tilted his head up to spear him with a questioning stare. "You do?"

"Yes. I do." And the vampire's eyes were warm and clear, no hidden resentment or anger to be seen within the lovely amber depths. "But we'll talk about it another time, when you're ready, when you don't have to force yourself to talk about it. You'll understand."

"…Alright."

L turned away, relieved at the reprieve that Light was granting him. There was a promise of _later_ in Light's words, but for now… it was alright to ignore that. Ignore everything that had happened while at that school, push aside all thoughts of anything confusing and that left him unsure. It was an unexpected gift, and while L was oddly disappointed that Light did _not_ want to press the issue- though he didn't know _why_ \- it was a relief at the same time.

It was odd, L thought as he picked up his quill once more, holding it delicately between two slim, pale fingers and dipping it into the pot of ink, that such events had had such a profound effect on him in the first place.

Surely, it should not have affected him so heavily, Light's actions? It should have been regarded with a dismissal, an acknowledgement that it was just a ploy to get them out of that blasted school before that girl, Linda, had a chance to find Light and delay their departure further. It should have been understood that it was nothing more than a pretense of affection- two actors upon the stage, as you will.

But… L's hand paused in the action of drawing a series of 16th notes, stopping in the middle of drawing the second bar. Light's fervency, the way he had held him so firmly, the almost desperate way he had pressed against him, closer into the wall, offering him no other option _but_ to allow Light to kiss him… It had not seemed like an act.

And that was what got him the most. Raising hand to his lips, he could almost imagine the feel of Light's hot lips against his own, tongue sliding and slipping in between-

With a small gasp, L jerked his hand away from his lips, shaking his head, a trail of hotness streaking along his cheeks. Quickly setting his quill back to parchment, he recommenced in transferring the melody that was dancing in his mind to parchment.

A sudden uncomfortable shifting drew L's attention up to Light, who, he was surprised to see, had never went back to his chair. Funny, that, that L had failed to notice his presence. He paused in his writing, holding his quill poised above the parchment as he tilted his head to look up at Light, a single, inky eyebrow arching upon observing the vampire.

He was drawing back, away from L, an expression somewhere between uncomfortableness and hunger written on his handsome features. He cleared his throat uncomfortably and shifted further away, gracefully starting to turn his body and walk away, but stopped short when L called his name.

"Light?" L asked quietly, concern flitting across his pale features, "Are you alright?" It was odd for the vampire to be acting like this, almost as if… realization dawned upon L as Light shook his head, caramel locks of hair falling to sweep over his eyes.

"Yes, it's just…" Light trailed off, a grimace twisting his lips as he tilted his head away, closing his eyes as if he were trying to ignore something.

And L was not so ignorant that he couldn't tell what was wrong. It had become a part of their routine- about two or three times a week. L resisted the urge to roll his eyes as he set his quill off to the side and stoppered the bottle of his ink, knowing he would not be using it again that day. "Oh, yes," L shrugged as he carefully sanded the parchment to prevent any ink smears before he rolled the copy of Golden Night up and set it carefully on the table as well. "It… it has been quite awhile, has it not?" L asked, eyebrow quirked as he turned to look up at Light, already starting to roll up his sleeve.

Though… a thought, a remembrance made him stop in the act, slim fingers fiddling with the cuff of his sleeve as his black eyes turned contemplative in reminiscence. While he didn't mind doing this- he trusted Light with his life implicitly and knew the vampire would never allow him harm by his hand or another's- Light's words the night he had taken Dominick Tracey's life flew back to him.

_Too many times of this, and you may lose feeling in this patch of skin…_

Fingers gently rubbed the small spot of skin that had indeed, lost feeling, but quite a long time ago, unbeknownst to Light. Those words…

His wrist was not thick by any means, and Light's fangs were long. And he had heard tales of soldiers who had lost feeling in a limb because of internal nerve damage.- too many times of being injured in the same place, or a nerve was nicked deep within their skin.

What if… that happened to him?

Cold fear flashed through him at the thought. No. He couldn't lose feeling in his hands. It would… that would destroy him. What if losing feeling in his skin was just the first step?

Light must have taken note of the fear that flashed across his face, because his brows furrowed as he leaned down slightly, concern lacing his voice as he asked, "L? Do you- I can wait, if you'd prefer…" Though it admittedly confused him- L had not shown hesitancy in feeding Light before… so why now?

Taking a deep, shaky breath, L nonetheless shook his head, pushing away thoughts of that happening. "No, it's just… I fear that losing feeling in my wrist will travel down to my fingers, eventually. Nerve damage…" Ah, he hadn't meant to voice those fears, but it would seem that they had slipped out…

Light recoiled, eyes widening in consternation as they flicked down to see L rubbing that small patch of skin with the reddened circles on them contemplatively. "L… I- hadn't thought about that…" he said quietly, guiltily. No... he had been careless to not consider such a thing might happen… L's career, his life would be over if he lost feeling in his hands. He would not be able to write, to play, to conduct…

And he would have been the one to rip that all away from him.

L, clueless as to what was racing through Light's mind, yet somehow sensing the general gist of the vampire's thoughts, knew it was nothing good. Seeking to divert the vampire's thoughts from the dismal turn they seemed to have taken, hesitantly inquired, "Perhaps there is somewhere else you could take? I would not be adverse to that…" Tilting his head to the side, he brushed a hand across his neck. "I trust you… if you'd like… you can take from my neck."

Light blinked, and then a shuttered look fell across his eyes as he tilted his head to the side, eyeing the pale vein tracing its way through the pale skin of L's neck. "You would allow me to do that? And here I thought you were uncomfortable in being touched. I would have to do so in order to feed from there," Light said quietly, a careful neutrality controlling the tone and level of his voice.

"I would be able to stand it," L told him resoltely. Bearing the vampire's touch would be better than losing the use of his hand.

Light searched L's eyes for a few long moment, before he sharply nodded. "So be it."

And L… L was unprepared for the way Light, in a supernatural display of speed, had him grasped around the waist, spun them around, and L was on the floor with Light atop him before he could take a single breath.

He was just inhaling to utter a sharp rebuke to Light for doing this, when a shockingly familiar sensation forced his mind to grind to a halt. He stared straight into Light's amber eyes as the vampire's warm lips were pressed against his own firmly, hands clasping the side of his face in a gentle, yet unforgiving grasp, holding his face still.

He could feel the start of fangs pressing against his lips as Light coaxed his mouth open, L unable to resist, overwhelmed as he was by the sudden turn this had taken.

Tilting his head, Light changed the angle of his mouth and slipped his tongue inside, sweeping L's mouth thoroughly once before drawing back, gazing at L. _Con fuoco_ … with fire. That was the way L's mind saw Light's eyes, intent, burning pools of amber, fixated wholly on him. It sent shivers up his spine, and like a snake's eyes, they paralyzed him, rendering him unable to do anything but stare dumbly up at Light, stuttering mind fizzling out and unable to help him process this new situation.

But then, Light licked his lips, and that motion forced L out of his shocked stupor and into action, surging up against Light in an attempt to throw the vampire off of him. He had offered to feed the vampire, not be tossed about as if he were some sort of rag doll!

But Light was immovable, and his eyelids fell to half-mast, his molten eyes drifting down to stare at L's lips once more. "Why are you struggling so hard, L?" Light asked. "I've done nothing to harm you- you know I would never-"

"Light! I've told you!" L cried, "I don't… I'm not comfortable in being touched-" L started to protest, trying to squirm away, out from under Light, but he was stopped when Light's hands pressed against his shoulders, holding him in place.

He turned his head up to level a vicious, furious glare at Light, but he stopped upon seeing the utter fervency, the intense hunger upon Light's face as he gracefully inclined his head to run silken lips over the outside of L's ears, nudging aside ink-black strands of hair with his nose to allow him better access.

Warm air fanned against his cheeks and washed over his ear as Light murmured directly into it, "That doesn't explain why you seem to have no problem with my lips tracing your skin…" and here, Light's mouth left his ear to brush almost delicately over the skin of his neck just below his ear. L shivered involuntarily at the warmth-sparking touch, and Light only chuckled and continued, "My tongue running over your flesh," he gently licked the skin he had just been caressing with his lips, "… tracing this vein that I've found to be so very tantalizingly delicious… the way my fangs sink into your skin-"

"Stop!" L cried suddenly, unable to stand it anymore and jerking his neck away from Light. He felt so angry, so furious that Light was behaving this way, deliberately provoking him and teasing him like this. He leveled a ferocious glare upon Light, obsidian eyes sparking in anger as he continued angrily, "Why- why do you persist in doing such things?!"

Light paused, lifting his head and answering honestly, with no trace of deceit or untruthfulness in his velvety voice or warm amber eyes, "Because… I enjoy touching you." L's eyes opened wide at the unexpected statement, and Light gave a rueful little smile as he shifted back, taking his weight off of L's shoulders. Gently and almost tenderly, he reached down and grasped L's wrist- the one he always took blood from, holding L's eyes as he lifted it to his mouth, placing a gentle, soft kiss upon it. "I enjoy being this close to you, being able to trace and touch your skin when I please, being able to smell the alluring scent that rises off of your skin…" He trailed off, closing his eyes as he turned L's hand and pressed it to his cheek, inhaling deeply to smell the delicious scent wafting off of the boy's skin that was purely, uniquely and deliciously L's.

L stared, transfixed as Light stroked the tips of his fingers over L's, silently paying homage to the slim, long fingers that had crafted such beautiful sounds, that were the tools that allowed L to compose and play such lovely music.

Still, though… L tore his eyes away from the sight, closing them and turning his head away to mutter, "This… this is wrong. These actions…those feelings… they are perverse. They should not go beyond a simple friendship. We are both men, and you- you are my assistant, and a vampire…"

"And who is the one that declares it wrong?" Light asked, squeezing L's hand to force him to look at him. Leaning closer, Light stared directly into L's eyes, not allowing him to break eye contact as he pressed on insistently, "Religion? Society? You and I, L… we share a bond that far transcends anything religion or human society seeks to label as wrong. We are above that. And you know, as well as I, that we have never bound ourselves by the statuses that humans seek to place upon themselves. You and I, we are far more than servant and master; you carry a part of me within you, just as I carry a part of you within me." Light kissed the Accord mark visible on L's finger, hidden by make-up when L went out in public, but was shown freely when at L's home, not bothering to hide it. His servants were loyal and the black kanji on L's finger and red one on Light's was very small and easy to miss.

L inhaled sharply at the touch to his mark, feeling a tingle race through his hand as the maker of the mark lavished such attention on it. Hand curling around L's, Light's red Accord mark brushed against L's, and a small glow was shown briefly as the two met, sparks racing down their fingers and through their hands.

"We are far closer than you think, L," Light whispered, releasing L's hand to place his own on either side of L's head, clasping the ink-black locks splayed on the floor as he leaned closer to murmur, lips only inches away from L's, "How could you ever seek to think that my desires are perverse, when you subconsciously mirror them yourself?"

"You are not… you are not human," L weakly protested, knowing it was a weak excuse, but unable to come up with anything else. Light's unfailingly logical words rendered any other protest useless, for the vampire was right. He had as good as admitted he desired Light earlier, and he had agreed to this.

"You don't think I'm human? Look at me, L," Light insisted firmly, drawing back to cup L's chin firmly, forcing him to turn his head and meet intense amber eyes, burning with desire. "I may be a different race, but I look human. I feel the same emotions as humans. I _covet_ the same things as humans."

L was taken aback and drawn in by the sheer intensity apparent in Light's eyes. "And what…what do you covet?" Oh, God. He couldn't… he knew he should resist, push Light away ad put him back in his place as L's servant rebuke him for daring to go so far and say such things, but.. he couldn't. This was Light, and Light was…. Light was special. Undefinable. Unquantifiable.

Light's lips curled up into a warm, triumphant smirk upon reading the silent capitulation within L's eyes. _Trionfante_ , triumphantly, was Light at the moment, and quietly yet passionately, he breathed out, "Love. Lust. Possession over the one I desire. _You."_

"Oh…" L shuddered at the vampire's words, unable to help himself as he tilted his head back, unconsciously baring his neck in a gesture of acceptance to Light's burning, greedy eyes. His hands gripped the vampire's cloth-covered shoulders tightly as Light bent his head to trace L's jugular vein with his lips, etching fiery lines into L's skin with each pass of silky lips over such a vulnerable area.

Baring his neck to the vampire… it was a dangerous move, leaving him beyond vulnerable, but L trusted Light implicitly, with his life. Light was the one being that would never betray him, that couldn't betray him, and L tried desperately to convince himself that it was the sole reason he allowed Light to do this.

He knew, though, deep within the recesses of his mind, that this was only a small part of the whole. There was so much more to this, to the reason he was allowing Light to lay him in such a compromising position- for what it Watari or another servant thought to enter his sanctuary?!- but he couldn't dwell upon it now. Not now, with Light's hand reaching up to tangle in his hair, twining and twisting to hold his head still while simultaneously tilting it to the side to expose it more.

Little shocks of pain ran from his abused scalp, but it only served to heighten the tension he was feeling, unable to hold back a choked cry as Light's hot tongue slipped out to lave over the groove between his windpipe and neck muscle, where the jugular lay. His head fell back, limp as a rag doll in Light's strong grip, bare toes curling in the plush carpet that cradled them.

He felt Light grin against the skin of his throat- pleased at evoking such a reaction from him, no doubt- and then he felt Light's free hand trail slowly down his body as the vampire above him shifted slightly to his side. He still lay upon L, pressing him down into the floor, but his hand was free to travel slowly down L's body.

It was getting hot, so hot with Light's lips like brands of fire mouthing at his neck, his hand creeping slowly, so slowly down his body. L knew where they were headed- how could he not? He felt as if their whole time together had been evolving to this point, climbing with every small liberty L permitted Light, first his blood, then his trust, and then his friendship, his consent mere days ago, and now… now culminating into this.

He had known it would come to this eventually, subconsciously, in the back of his mind. Light had made no attempt to stop it, either, simply letting L take the steps needed to get here by allowing L to let him in closer and closer, until he had no protest, no reason or desire to push Light away.

In the back of his mind, he still was aware this was not deemed socially acceptable- homosexual relations were a crime and looked down with utter distaste and horror, but at the moment, L couldn't give a damn. Their bond caused by the Accord went so much deeper than social expectations, and right now, the only thought that encompassed his mind was how Light's body felt so warm and comfortable pressed against him.

The clever fingers reached the waistband of his black trousers and L had to stifle a moan as they halted there, instead of continuing down as L so desperately wanted them to do. Light's mouth drew back from his neck and L cracked an eye open, gasping in heaving gulps of air, not having realized that he had been holding his breath until now.

He stared up into burning, intense amber, seeing a pleased smirk settling upon Light's lush lips. The thought of where those lips had been not moments ago made a shiver wrack his body. By the way that smirk seemed to grow, L had no doubt that Light had felt it and knew the cause behind it.

"What are you doing?" L whispered, fingers clinging upon the cloth of Light's jacket desperately, eyes wide as Light shifted back, taking the intense, pleasurable heat of his body with him.

"I'm not going any further until you give me your consent," Light said with a crooked smile, eyes scanning L's face covertly.

"I gave you my consent!" L cried, _needing_ Light back, his brain gone blank of anything else other than the overwhelming desire Light had evoked in him. It made him careless with his words, and he missed the glint that lit in Light's eyes as the words fell from L's lips in a damning, unstoppable flood. "That day- I said it! At the school, that day in the carriage I gave you permission-!"

At that, Light's smile turned wickedly pleased, as if he were the cat who had gotten the cream and his fingers were placed softly over L's lips, cutting off the flow of words. L's eyes were huge, gazing at him with a mixture of desperation and urgent desire, and leaning back over him, delighting in the way L's eyelids fluttered as Light's cheek brushed over L's, he murmured in L's ear, "I knew it."

Lights huskily-voiced words cut through the daze his mind was currently in, and he choked on a gasp as he turned his head to meet Light's pleased face. "You… knew?" L whispered in disbelief. All that time… L had hoped that the vampire wouldn't have been able to puzzle it out for another while at least. At that time, the offer had just fallen from his mouth before he had a chance to stop it, and he had only been able to hope- and then be relieved as it seemed Light hadn't been able to catch what he had meant. Though now that he thought back… perhaps Light did now? His words spoken right afterwards, his mannerism…

And then, today…

_But we'll talk about it another time, when you're ready, when you don't have to force yourself to talk about it. You'll understand…_

Was this why… did Light think that because he had permission from L, he would allow himself to be used this way?!

Seeing the thoughts flickering behind L's wide eyes, his knowledge of how L's mind worked after years of watching and analyzing him allowed him to correctly discern the direction L's thoughts were taking.

Sighing, Light shook his head, tapping the tip of L's nose almost playfully, and the change in Light's demeanor successfully gained L's attention. "Little brat," Light said warmly, affectionately. "I wouldn't take advantage of you like that. You know me better than that."

L stared up at him, eyes scrutinizing Light's for any sign that he was not being truthful, and then, apparently satisfied upon finding what he was looking for, reached up to twine his long fingers in Light's silky hair. With a small groan, he dragged the vampire down for another kiss, lips licking along the line of Light's in eager strokes. Desire and delight flashing through him at L's responsiveness, Light eagerly responded, luring L's tongue into his mouth to rub his against the composer's, hands reaching down to quickly and eagerly unbutton L's white shirt, tugging it out of his trousers in harsh jerks.

Without breaking the kiss, Light slipped a hand under L's shirt, sliding his hand up the contours of L's slim back, admiring the planes of his shoulderblades and delicate juttings of spine. He smiled into the kiss at the way L's breath hitched and the small moan he garnered in response to his explorations. Pushing his hand upwards, he gently coaxed L up, supporting him as he slipped the shirt and jacket off of L's shoulders, leaving it to pool under him before he settled L back down onto it.

And then, Light broke the kiss, drawing back with a gasp to sit back and admire the smooth, lean lines of L's bared torso, the pink nipples that adorned his chest, and the thin trail of black hair that trailed down from his navel and into the waistband of his trousers, teasing and enticing. His eyes burned fiery trails across L's skin as he visually devoured the sight lay bared before him.

His cock throbbed within the constricting confines of his trousers, and a primal part of him was darkly satisfied to see that there was a bump inside of L's trousers as well, indicating a straining length that was a sign that L loved what he was doing to him.

"Light…" L huskily whispered his name, calling his attention back to the boy himself, and Light's eyelids drooped in lust as he took in the pale flush of excitement staining L's high cheekbones, black eyes glittering in anticipation and desire.

Desire for _him._

The thought was heady, that L was his and his alone, that the reclusive composer had been not been approached, touched nor claimed by anyone else but _him._ No one else had ever had the pleasure of viewing L as this, no one had dared or been able to get close to L as he had, and the knowledge the it was actually L who had handpicked Light to stand by him those 4 years ago only served to make the experience all the more sweeter.

He was L's, just as much as L was his, and that thought was the one that snapped his control.

With a groan, Light reached down to undo the clasp of L's trousers as he dipped his head to lave his tongue across L's smooth, pale-skinned chest. His tongue made contact with a nipple, and happily, he drew it into his mouth and bit gently down upon it as he reached to his own front, tugging his shirt out of his trousers and opening the clasp to them as well.

Shifting his hips down, Light allowed his burning length to rub against L's, repressing a groan as his cock rubbed against L's own hot, sleek length. It felt better than anything he had felt before, simply because of _who_ he was doing with, and unable to help himself, he reached between them, other hand bracing himself on the carpet next to L's head, and enfolded both of their aching lengths within his hand.

L arched into Light's mouth with a small cry of delight as he felt his nipple be enclosed in Light's hot mouth, the new stimuli sending sparks of heat skittering down from his chest to pool in his groin. These feelings that Light was bestowing on him simply by touch, looks, and voice were something that he had never experienced before, something that could only be evoked by the vampire himself.

Vaguely, he felt Lights' silky hair wisp across his chest like many miniscule touches and he gasped, vaguely sensing Light doing something down by his groin. Groaning, he shifted to open his legs a little wider to aide Light in whatever he was doing, not caring what it was as long as he kept his mouth right where it was and-

What was that-?!

Eyes snapping open, a shocked gasp escaped his throat as he felt his length pressed against something booth hot and slick and hot and rough, the heat that had started pooling in his stomach increasing in a sharp spike at the incredible feeling assaulting his cock. "Wha…" he was able to breathe out, before Light tore his head away from L's chest to smirk up at him.

"Sh," Light whispered, amber eyes burning up at him. "No need to ask. Don't let me hear anything out of your mouth unless it's my name or a sound of pleasure."

That, combined with the sudden movement of what L realized, with a jolt of pure pleasure, was Light's hand pressing both of their cocks together, caused L to spasm and fall back upon the carpet, panting harshly through his teeth as Light stroked them both slowly. His length was pressed snugly against Light's and the intimacy of the situation, that Light was pressed against him in the most intimate of ways, pleasuring them both together at the same time caused L to give a small, sobbing moan of delight.

His toes curled delightedly in the carpet and he drug his legs up so that his knees were bent, pressing them tightly against Light's sides, keeping him right there, where L wanted and desired him to be. He used the leverage to buck his hips up into Light's hand, silently asking for more as he licked his lips and stared with lust-glazed eyes straight into Light's.

"God, L…" Light groaned, and the sound of his name rolling off of Light's lips in such an aroused, husky tone caused him to involuntarily arch upwards, fingers grasping desperately onto the sides of Light's arms, clinging the fabric in a deathgrip. It felt so good, so much better than good, _euphoric_ to have Light's hand on him like this, lengths nestled closely together, burning flesh against burning flesh and L moaned, unable to help himself.

He felt as if he were a piano, being tuned at Light's hand. Every stroke of Light's hand along his cock was like a twist of the tuner's tool, stringing him tighter and tighter until he was sure he would snap. That, or come gloriously undone, creating the most beautiful of symphonies. And all at Light's wickedly talented hands. God…

His name was repeated, moaned huskily into his ear in a voice laden with desire, and that in itself was a purely arousing thing, proof that Light was here, with him, and not thinking of another…

But still... some small part of him was displeased with that, simply because L was his moniker, not his true name. And he wanted to hear his real name on Light's lips. Perhaps… perhaps it would banish the bad feelings that went with it, and it had been so long since anyone had dared utter it…

"…Lawliet," L groaned out, gasping as Light's thumb dragged exquisitely across the tip of his cock before sliding smoothly back down and sending a flare of heated pleasure washing over him. "My family name… Lawliet…"

But Light suddenly stopped upon hearing the forbidden name spill from L's mouth, freezing in shock as he gazed down upon L's debauched visage. It caused a despairing cry to spill forth from L's lips, but Light paid it no mind in favor of contemplating the silent request L had asked of him with the simple utterance of that name.

He had no idea what had caused L to hate his name- it had to do with his shadow-shrouded past, Light was sure, but that he was asking Light to call him by it, at least, for the duration of this… It spoke of an incredible amount of trust in him. He knew L trusted him, yes, but to do so enough to ignore whatever had happened in his past and desire Light to call him by that name… it indicated the sheer amount of trust L placed in him, and that was an incredibly powerful, heady thought.

"Lawliet, then…" Light husked into L's ear, tongue flicking out to trail along the outer line, before he enclosed the fleshy lobe into his mouth and sucked on it. L gave a startled, needy gasp and bucked into his hands, the heated length rubbing over Light's and causing him to bite back a curse.

L was… he was so lovely, so unhindered in his actions and so openly honest in his delight that it was causing Light to lose control. Panting into L's ear, his bracing hand inched over to tangle in L's thick black hair, tugging his head roughly to the side so that his smooth, pale neck with delicate blue veins was bared to his burning eyes.

The darkly delicious scent that was wholly, purely, uniquely L's wafted up from the skin of his neck, so much more powerful at the pulse points than anywhere else, and unable to resist, he impatiently dipped his head to latch onto L's neck. His mouth eagerly sucked and nipped at soft, pale skin as he increased the desperate pace of his hand, almost flying up his and L's lengths now in a frantic bid to cause L to release before he lost control of the tenuous grip he had on his hunger for L's blood.

Bites at the neck hurt so much worse than anywhere else because the skin was so much more sensitive here than anywhere else, but if he timed it perfectly… would feel nothing but pure, blinding ecstasy.

And L deserved nothing less. He would allow L to experience nothing less than that. Not at his hands.

"Come on, Lawliet," Light gasped, against the hot, delicious skin of L's neck, feeling the body under him shudder in response to his words. The end felt so very close for both he and L, if the throbbing he felt in both his own length and L's was anything to go by. He was shaking now, both with the hot pleasure coursing through his veins and the effort it to hold himself back from sinking his eager fangs into the smooth neck displayed so enticingly for him.

It was so close now… L writhed and squirmed under Light, unable to help himself as he felt that there was a precipice he was about to reach, and end to the euphoria slowly overtaking his mind, racing through his being and pooling in his groin. Every stroke of Light's hot hand only brought that end closer, faster, until finally, Light groaned out, "Lawliet…Come for me, Lawliet…" and the tip of his thumb rubbed slickly over the extremely sensitive head of his cock.

It was the last straw, that the sound of Light rasping out his name and the feeling of his hand, and with a hoarse scream of ecstasy, he snapped taut, back arching and eyes snapping open as a wave of white- hot pleasure overtook him, rendering him senseless to everything. The second right before orgasm hit, he registered Light's fangs sliding into his skin, piercing through his neck and cutting off his involuntary scream. There was pain for one harsh, fleeting second, and then L knew nothing else but pure, overwhelming pleasure.

Light growled in delight as L arched up into him, lithe, taut body pressing into him and hot release spilling over his hand, scalding proof of L's pleasure. Unable to help himself anymore, L's delicious scent filling his senses, Light bit down harshly into L's neck, moaning as the taste hit his tongue, exploding into the sweet, darkly delicious flavor that Light had come to crave as needily and desperately as the boy writhing in abandoned pleasure beneath him.

The sound of L's scream of pleasure rang in his ears, and that, combined with the taste on his tongue and feel of his hand and L's length rubbing against his drove Light over the edge as well. A strangled exclamation of L's true name was muffled against L's throat as Light's eyes slipped close and he came as well, hips bucking into L's unrestrainedly.

Blood continued to pour into his mouth, being swallowed down in greedy gulps even as the last lingering shocks of orgasm faded, L's breathing becoming steadily calmer as Light eagerly drank from his neck.

L blinked a few times, just starting to come back down from the high, and he realized what Light was doing. He could feel the disconcerting shift of Light's fangs lodged in his throat, felt Light's tongue lapping against his skin and the press of his lips against barely-numbed skin. L didn't try to move his neck or shift away, but instead brought still-shaking hands to gently clasp Light's hair, holding him in place against his neck.

This was comfortingly familiar to L, the act of giving blood to Light. He relaxed, allowing Light to feed at his leisure, even as Light made a little growling noise in his throat and the hand tangled in L's hair tugged his neck further over, baring it more openly to Light. This L also allowed, stroking Light's hair as his eyes slipped shut, simply enjoying the feel of Light pressed so closely against him.

There were uncertain thoughts racing through L's mind now that it was starting to function once more, wondering how he should react to Light now, where they would go from here, but they were pushed away in favor of simply enjoying the moment for now. They could be worried about later; there was a sort of complacent exhaustion creeping over L, a sort of bonelessness that was both a product of what he and Light had just done combined with the blood loss Light was inflicting upon him. It made him less inclined to ponder over such things when he simply wanted to sleep.

But finally, Light pulled back, L wincing at the uncomfortable feeling of Light's fangs dislodging from his neck. He raised his head and L wearily turned to his face to Light's, seeing a trail of crimson blood leaking from the corner of his mouth. His amber eyes were shadowed by caramel bangs, regarding L with a measure of uncertainty, as if wondering if this was alright now that the heat of the moment had passed.

Wanting to reassure Light, L trailed a hand from Light's hair, brushing over his cheek until he got to Light's mouth. "You spilled some," L told Light with a small smile, as he thumbed the blood away, exhaustion making his words slur a bit. He was starting to feel a bit faded, like he was about to pass out, but he struggled to keep his eyes open, not wanting to fall asleep at the moment.

He moved to withdraw his hand from Light's face, but it was gently caught on its descent by Light's hand. Eyes slipping closed, Light smiled softly as he cleaned the last drops from L's thumb before releasing it to gaze at L once more, amber eyes drifting over his features.

"Go to sleep, L," Light murmured, dipping his head to run his tongue over the blood that was seeping out of the puncture wounds on L's neck. L shivered a bit at the feeling but allowed himself to go limp, knowing Light would take care of it- he always did, without fail. "We can talk in the morning. I'm not going to run off."

"You'll be here?" L asked sleepily, words slurring even worse. A small chuckle was huffed against his neck and he allowed a small smile to tug at his lips in return. "If I wish it, you'll have to stay, won't you?" he mumbled out, just to make sure. "Because I do, you know."

"Of course, L," Light breathed, nibbling gently at the skin of L's neck, resulting in a small intake of breath from L. "I'd be here even if you didn't want me to be, brat," he said affectionately, and that old nickname, more an endearment than anything else, made a lazy smile tug at L's lips. "You're not going to get rid of me that easily, you know. Not after all of this."

Somehow, Light's reassurance, thought it was accompanied by no vows or promises, was more trustworthy than if it had been. Light would be here when he awoke, no doubt as immaculately dressed as always, with a small spark of devilishness glinting in his lovely amber eyes, ready to provoke, tease, or assist L depending on his whims. And that thought was comforting.

Nodding, L allowed Light to slip his arms under him and shift into a sitting position under Light so that his upper body was cradled in his lap. He readjusted both of their trousers, tucking both of them back in and re-doing the clasps so that nothing was hanging out indecently. And then, inclining his head, Light set to work cleaning up the last of the blood, running soothing fingers through L's hair as he did so.

They were so alike, yet so different, L thought lazily, allowing Light to tend to him, feeling the familiar blackness begin to gather at the edges of his vision. His muddled mind stuttered through half-formed thoughts as he waited for sleep to overtake him, idly making comparisons between he and Light .

Servant and master.

Vampire and composer.

Blood-taker and symphony-maker.

Blood and symphonies…

L smiled the moment before the blackness wholly took over his vision, and the last thing he remembered before succumbing to unconsciousness was the feel of Light gently bandaging his neck up, and the thought that if one said blood and symphonies fast enough, it sounded almost like…

Bloody Symphonies.


	6. Symphony 6: Oculi potest fallentes

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A week after the tension between Light and L finally came to a resolution finds L seriously thinking about the actions of that day. Embarrassed at the way he had acted, he has been avoiding Light, only to realize, after finding a note from his assistant, that it was rather stupid of him. He ends up getting Light to come to his workroom, where the true heart of the matter is finally hashed out. However, they are interrupted by L's nephew, Mello, and Light drags the blonde off, only to have Mello answer the door and meet a man called Nate River, whom he mistakes as a woman. But it turns out that Nate is not all of what he seems, and something from Light's mysterious past comes back to plague him, and he can't help but wonder how it will affect he and L in the future...

"Now, where did I put that…?"

L's thin black eyebrows furrowed as he rummaged busily in one of the many piles of parchment that littered the corners of his workroom. Frustration ran through him as his constant searching came up with nothing, and he finally stood back, glowering darkly at the piles of clutter and raising his hand to nibble upon his thumb.

It was so _frustrating._

Sighing, he rubbed his cheek with a long-fingered hand, mind racing as he pondered where he could have _possibly_ left that blasted piece of music. For once, it was not a composition of his own, but a piece that was to be played in a week's time. The composer, a well-known but not famous man had asked him to conduct it, hoping that the news that the famous composer L was to be at the concert would bring more recognition and sell more tickets.

The man was one that L did not know well, but Robert Kane was someone that had done L a few small favors in the past. It was one of L's personal rules to always pay one back what one deserved- an eye for an eye, he always said- and helping the man out simply by conducting a piece was the least he could do.

He had planned on going to the concert anyways…

Kane's new piece was one that, while simple, was still elegant and he looked forwards to hearing it played.

But… that was only if he could find the piece.

It still confounded him that he could lose something such as this in the course of two days.

And, he could not even blame it on going senile in his age. He was only 17, after all. Memory loss shouldn't set in for a few more decades, at least.

Groaning in frustration, he stood barefoot in the middle of the plushly-carpeted room, his mind working furiously as he tried to remember, wracking his brains desperately for the location of that blasted piece of music. He couldn't possibly think as to what had happened to it after the messenger from Kane had brought it over…

He remembered taking it, looking over it, setting it on top of his piano for further consideration after lunch… and then… then…

Well, he couldn't remember.

His eyes flicked over to the piano, a sudden thought striking him as he tilted his head, looking closer at the pristine, shining surface of the suspiciously dust-less piano.

Parchment had a nasty tendency to leave small particles of dust and residue everywhere. The sand that dried the ink tended to scatter, leaving a telltale mark as to where it had been. It was often not noticeable, but on the lacquered, polished surface of his piano, there were always some particles that were left behind.

If he had moved the piece of music after he came back from lunch those couple of days ago, there would still be dust particles left on the surface of the piano where the composition had been resting. He was disinclined to waste time by wiping off the surface when there were others to do things like that.

But… there was one person that resided in this mansion that _would_ have taken the time to wipe off the piano if they had moved a certain piece of paper that was eluding L, and noticed dust on the piano. Someone with a slight compulsion to leave things tidy and neat and clean.

…He was willing to bet Light had moved it somewhere.

The thought stopped him short, black eyes widening and thumb-nibbling coming to an abrupt halt, so that the appendage simply rested peacefully in his mouth. The vampire…

Only a scant few days had passed since..

Since…

Well, that.

L's eyes slipped shut and a light heat rose upon his face, staining his high cheekbones and suffusing them with a light shade of pink. He had not talked to Light much since then…

It wasn't for anger over what had happened, to be sure. He had been a more than willing participant, and while Light's high-handed ways had irritated him at the onset…

He couldn't be mad that Light had chosen to act upon the offer he had subtly given.

And- here, the slight flush upon L's cheeks grew just the slightest bit darker- he had more than loved what had occurred. However…

Thinking back upon it all was, well, utterly embarrassing. Light had been the only one ever get that close to him and share such an intimacy with him. To be exposed to openly to another person, especially one that he was in continuous close contact with… it was highly mortifying.

And even worse…

It was preposterous that the Great L be embarrassed! He should not have let such a thing affect him in such a way. It was bad enough that the kiss Light had been roundaboutly forced to give him had shaken him so much, interfering with his work, it was ridiculous that he had given into… into…

 _Hiding_ , of all things.

He cracked open an eyelid to level an irritated glare upon the chair where Light usually perched with his newspaper and repertoire of witty remarks and scathing comebacks. Apparently, his reluctance to see the vampire face-to-face had unconsciously communicated itself to the supposedly mythological being himself after the first two days of L retiring from his workroom as soon as the vampire graced it with his presence.

Slinking back to his piano, he stepped gracefully upon his worn, antique bench and ran a thoughtful finger gently over the smooth ivory surface of the keys as he settled into his preferred way of sitting.

He no longer had the patience to continue looking for the music. He'd ask Watari to have Light find it or something. Or, rather than run the risk of running into the vampire, he'd simply just have Watari scan for it while bustling around the mansion, and tell him to have the staff keep an eye out for it.

Sighing, he returned his gaze back to the piano, frowning as he felt the cool, polished ivory keys under his fingertips. He had been neglecting his playing and his own composing, he knew. He had not graced the piano with his playing for the past week, unable to think with the thoughts rolling around in his head.

Unlike last time, they were not confusing, simply…

Consumingly distracting.

Sighing, he opened his eyes to favor his fingers with an emotionless gaze as they rubbed gently over the white keys.

Yes… his thoughts had been utterly distracting him from his work. But… it as so very hard to work when the vampire kept popping up in his thoughts, derailing his musical train of thought. Every time he went to write something, it always unfailingly evolved to a darker, more sensual piece, no matter what the mood he was trying to create had been. Thoughts of the way Light had leant upon this piano, lovely amber eyes curious and open plagued him, and looking down at his own fingers…

He blushed and closed them, suddenly struck with the remembrance of long, graceful fingers upon his own white flesh, ivory-colored like the piano keys. The sunlight streaming in warmed his skin, reminding him of the way Light had slowly and erotically burnt him up with his touch, and the unruly black hair that brushed against his ears reminded him of the way Light's had tickled his cheek as the vampire nuzzled into his ear to whisper such delightfully ruinous things into it.

_Love. Lust. Possession over the one I desire. You._

Gasping, L quickly snapped his eyes open, clapping his hands over his ears as his black eyes desperately swept the room for any signs of the being that was currently wreaking havoc upon his mental homeostasis.

He relaxed slightly, though, as he realized that it had simply been a product of his imagination. He let out a sigh of relief upon discovering that he remained alone.

Just as he would prefer it.

Now, if the blasted vampire could leave him be in his thoughts as well…

Mumbling nonsensically to himself, L reminded himself of his purpose and reached out to the trusty desk that had been placed next to the piano. It held his quills and ink, as well as his parchment that he wrote his music upon. There was really nothing that struck him- his inspiration had dried up as soon as he had started avoiding Light, though he refused to dwell upon the reasons as to why, exactly.

_Light was his inspiration._

Frowning now, as he desperately flicked that stray mental thought away, L reached out to grab a piece of parchment, only for his frown to deepen as his fingers met with a smaller sample of paper than he was used to. Pinching it delicately between two fingers, he brought it up to eye level, brows furrowing as he read what was on it.

_I found this when I was dusting off the piano. I thought you might look for this sometime, so I took pains to put it in a place where there would be no doubt of you happening across it. I hope that this also sparks some inspiration, as I wonder what happened to that lovely, and apparently damaged, musical instrument we discussed previously. I have not heard you play for some time._

_-Light_

Blinking, L turned his head slowly, a small smile tweaking the edges of his lips as he saw that the music Kane had given him was lying atop his table.

Though the note from Light was brief, it displayed a small amount of his dry humor. L's ability to misplace simple things was something that Light took pleasure in reminding him of constantly. He maintained that the vampire took a special delight in moving things on him while tidying up and then subtly mocking him for it later.

Blasted mythological bloodsucker.

Adjusting his grip so that he was grasping the small note with his whole hand, he fingered the edges, eyes running over the graceful, spidery writing that was unique to Light. It was a style that was rarely used anymore, testament to how old Light truly was. He was no child of the 1800's, certainly, and his more than formal syntax, smooth mannerisms and almost artistic style of writing bespoke that he was from not only a foreign country, but a time when art was valued much more highly and the simplest misspeak or misstep could cause dire consequences.

…That, and the subtle nettling, even in written words, was something that L suddenly realized he sorely missed.

He missed _Light_ , and the realization that he was reliant upon the vampire for more than good company and his ability to keep everything organized in the wake of L's untidiness spoke volumes for how important the vampire had truly become to both his mental well-being and life.

Heart, too, but that was someplace that L was not even thinking of pondering today. It could be broached another time, when this whole situation was not so new to him.

…And there was another thought that L was unsure of. What had happened a week ago… would it happen again? Light would no doubt need to feed sometime, sometime very soon. He had taken quite a bit the last time he had fed, but still…

He would need to be fed soon, in accordance with their Accord. And he would have to face Light then.

Sighing, L rolled his head back, shivering as the spikes of hair brushed along the sensitive skin of his neck in a tickling fashion. Annoyed, he reached up to brush at the spot and soothe away the little tingles, but stopped short as his fingers brushed over Light's bite mark. The edges were still slightly raw and very tender to the touch, making L shudder at both the feeling and the memories they provoked.

Fingers lightly tracing over the tender marks, L couldn't help but imagine, wish and wonder that it was Light's burning fingers upon him, as they had been before. It was the memory of Light's hands, no doubt, that inspired this. As a musician, he admired the simple grace and beauty Light's slim, graceful fingers held, and it had been so… almost unbearably pleasurable to have those hands on him and remember exactly what it was like.

He could almost imagine Light picking up the quill, grasping it gently and then fluidly writing down the note he had left L on top of Kane's composition. Eyes slipping shut, L could almost perfectly picture the small smirk that Light's lips had held as he penned the note, the slight narrowing of his eyes in humor as his lovely amber eyes swept over the paper, leaving behind a mark of his presence.

_I miss Light._

This, he finally acknowledged as his lips turned down into a thoughtful frown. He missed Light's conversation, his arguments and gentle prodding and teasing. He even missed Light just being infuriatingly boring, being quiet and hiding behind his daily newspaper, situated comfortably in his red chair.

But…

L tilted his head forwards, hand dropping from his neck to rest upon his bent knees. He clutched at them, wrinkling the already-ruffled black fabric of his trousers, biting his bottom lip as he thought.

By pushing Light away and avoiding him the day after _that_ , it must have communicated that he didn't want to see the vampire. And by continuously doing so… it must have only reinforced that belief.

But that wasn't at all it. That wasn't what L had wanted at all… in the end...

_Have I done something stupid?_

By creating a rift like this, even if it was only because of his own insecurity, there was a chance that he had damaged their relationship, in whatever form it was- assistant, bodyguard, friend, lover- irrevocably. And L didn't want that. He wanted…

He wasn't sure what he wanted from Light. But he did want Light back, back here, in this workroom. And the only way to do that….

Eyes snapping open, they flicked over to the note that Light had left. He reached a hand out, shifting his body closer to in order to reach it. Snatching the note, his eyes skimmed over it once more, this time, going deeper than the subtle dry poking at him and digging deeper, seeing the nuances hidden within the carefully-chosen words.

_I have not heard you play for some time._

But he had not seen nor heard L conducting for an even longer time.

L traced a hand over the ink once more, inspiration glimmering within his eyes. A small smile tugged at his pale lips and he set the note aside, on top of the piano. He ignored the dust that would surely settle there, forcing Light to polish it once more if he were to satisfy his need to keep everything clean.

Smirking to himself now as he satisfied his need to annoy Light, he then turned his attention back to the music that still rested upon the table.

Picking it up, he smoothed it out, black eyes flicking across the carefully-drawn musical notes. Kane's handwriting was more neat and orderly than his graceful, flowing notes, making it easy to distinguish from his own.

Music grasped firmly in hand, L's eyes never wavered from the paper as he slipped his feet from the bench to the floor. He hummed the music quietly to himself as he retrieved his black iron music stand from the corner where he had shoved it off to a few days ago.

A small smile tilted his lips upwards as he did so, brain now working in a much favorable direction. He had not conducted since the night of the disastrous affair with Dominick Tracey, and he was quite looking forwards to being upon the podium once more. Up there, he knew that the gentry were watching him, taking note of him, and that word would eventually spread of him, even though it was not his piece. People who had not witnessed him or heard of him would soon be educated, and then…

It was like a domino effect, and in this case, it was very pleasing for it to happen.

It would be impossible to not hear his name spoken of in one context or the other. L loathed the gossip mill much of the time, for the rumors spread were not always favorable, and the Lawliet history was an interesting one indeed.

But in this case, the gentry's need to entertain themselves with the misfortunes and fame of others would work to his favor. L was a widely-known name in England, and foreigners were becoming more and more common these days. His name would be heard, his talents made known of and word of both would spread.

A small glint sparked in his eyes as he thought of this, hopes and dreams flitting through his mind. Moving himself, stand, and music to the center of the room, he placed Kane's composition upon the stand, flicking through it, foot already tapping in tempo as he hummed quietly, already totally absorbed within the music.

* * *

The silence from the room was unnerving.

Light stood outside the door to L's workroom, eyes narrowed and thoughtful as he contemplated going in, despite L's feelings about being near him. It was obvious, at least to him, that the eccentric composer, his Accorded, was avoiding him.

And, despite how well he knew L, being his constant companion for the past few years, he could not ascertain to why, exactly, L felt the need to hide.

He could narrow it down, certainly, and it wavered between a lingering sense of embarrassment over what had happened naught but a few days ago and disgust over the actions. Homosexuality, was, after all, looked down upon.

Despite the fact that many rich old nobles partook of the pleasures young boys had to offer without any one being the wiser. It happened, everyone knew it, and those fat old men lounging about in their lavish mansions were the worst sort of hypocrites for it. It infuriated Light to no end, though there was nothing that he could do about it.

But…

He suspected that it was not disgust that L was feeling- he knew the boy well enough to know that much. Light was betting that the scale leaned more heavily towards embarrassment.

And while it was annoying to be cut off from L, to have the very being that both pleased and annoyed him so delightfully in turns remain unavailable to him, he was willing to wait until L came to terms with what had happened. He would wait, because it was the only thing he could do. Luckily, centuries of living had given Light an immeasurable amount of patience. Therefore, he would allow L to evade him, even while Light missed his presence and the pleasure it brought being around L, because he knew that his waiting would pay off in the end.

A sudden rustling from the music room snapped Light out of his daze, drawing his attention back to the room that he knew L was in. He could smell L's alluring scent, that dark, tantalizing smell that drew Light in and enraptured him so completely. It brought a longing ache to both his throat and to himself, for he could not forget the way L had tasted, had felt under him in the throes of pleasure. L was addicting, and while he could hold himself back and allow L to avoid him, it was getting a little harder every day not to simply snag the boy's sleeve as he skirted around Light in the hall, pressing him up against the wall and feeling that lithe body against his, inhaling the smell of the eccentric composer and tasting his skin- and blood.

…Damn.

Pressing a hand against his forehead, Light sighed, closing his lovely amber eyes. He missed L. it was simple as that. He could go without his blood, without any physical contact or the such, even conversation. Simply being around L was enough, watching and listening covertly from under lowered lashes as the teenager worked determinedly on his music, nibbled on his thumb or quill as he thought, or simply took a quick hiatus to play contededly on his piano.

Simply watching had been enough, and now… he could not even do that. And he missed it, longed for it with every fiber of his being. Twin desires tore at him; to be around L and please himself, or leave L in peace and please the boy.

It was obvious which desire would win out; L's wishes would always take precedence over his own. Since the day he had first entered L's service, it had been this way, and so it would continue to be.

Shaking his head, Light reluctantly turned away from the door where the object of his thoughts was, letting a harsh breath hiss out from between his clenched teeth.

He was just making moves to walk away, when the sudden sound of light, rhythmic footsteps sounded lightly from L's workroom. Pausing, Light cocked his head curiously, brows furrowing as he listened.

If he didn't know better, he'd say L was…

No. Preposterous. L didn't dance. He had a gift for it, certainly, but at any of the social functions they attend, L never used his dance card, preferring to speak with other composers or musical talents that had also chosen to attend. He had never in his life seen L dance, apart from the one time he had watched and attended L as he conducted his piece that was a direct challenge to the late Dominick Tracey. Even then, it was not dancing, but it had been close, graceful movements of his body as L allowed the music to seep into his body.

But then…

Cocking his head, Light slowly turned to look back over his shoulder, eyebrow quirking as he gave in to curiosity and turned his whole body round. He listened intently, fingers absentmindedly coming up to rest against his cheek as he closed his eyes.

What else could L be doing?

Curiosity flared inside of him, and against his better judgment, it consumed him. He stepped forwards, reaching out to silently push open the door. It swung open without a sound, much to his pleasure. Light stepped through the oaken door, closing it securely behind him, though he forgot to lock it. His eyes flicked up, widening as they took in the sight that met them.

L was dancing.

No, Light realized. Not dancing, but conducting. However, when L conducted, he did so with his whole body, moving gracefully in time with the music.

As Light stood at the doorway in shock, he took in the way L's feet tripped lightly over the carpet, body shifting fluidly and arm raised to his chest, moving in sweeping, encompassing motions. The large black eyes that Light loved so dearly were closed, a look of relaxation and contentment upon his pale face. L was humming, and Light knew, with sudden certainty, that it was the piece L had been asked to conduct.

He was only practicing, getting a feel for the music and making sure that he would not make any mistake, and yet…

He still seemed so perfect, so poised that Light could only watch, transfixed. Though, the volume of L's humming increased, his tempo speeding up a bit, and now that he could hear it properly, Light deduced that the composition that L was working with was in the style of a waltz.

Inspiration struck Light, and before he could think it through, he was silently stepping forwards. His feet made no sound upon the carpet as he closed the small distance to the middle of the room, where L was. His eyes trailed down L's slim form, eyes falling heavy-lidded as he remembered what the body underneath the ruffled, wrinkled clothes felt and looked like under his hands.

There was so much more to L than met the eye, and that Light had only just started scratching the surface only whetted his appetite to learn more. And while he would have many more years to get to know L even better… his patience was good, but nowhere near perfection.

L's arms were raised now, at his sides, silky spikes of hair shifting over this back and brushing enticingly over his shoulders as he moved. Taking the chance offered to him, Light reached out and grasped L's left hand, spinning him around.

At being cut off so abruptly, L let out a small yelp of shock, miraculously able to maintain his footing even as he was whirled around, left hand grasped firmly in a warm one that he knew very well. His other hand shot up to the vampire's shoulder to steady himself, and he felt the weight of Light's other hand settle upon his waist, right at the flare of his hip.

"Light!" he exclaimed as he realized both that Light was here, and that the vampire had quite suddenly and shockingly, pulled them into a dancing position. And yet, even as he saw a small smile pulling at Light's full lips and a mischievous glint in his lovely amber eyes, L couldn't help but allow a slight one to appear on his lips in return.

It was dampened, however, as he felt the tightness in Light's shoulder and the uncertain, apprehensive look in his eye. It was apparent that the vampire wasn't sure if this sort of closeness was okay, and it bothered L that he had been the one to unintentionally cause that. Light had taken what he considered a huge risk by doing this, and the thought made something within L clench. After what had happened, there should have been no unsurety.

Before L had a chance to speak further, the vampire's full lips parted in a breathy chuckle as he readjusted his grip on L's waist, fingers shifting and unintentionally caressing. The feel made tingles dance along L's spine and his stomach coiled in excitement and tension.

"Dancing such as that is notoriously hard without a good partner, L," Light said, his voice smooth and warm as he tilted his head to the side to survey the composer better. He attempted to gain some insight into what L was thinking, to see if this was overstepping the bounds that L had laid with his prior actions.

But the lovely composer did not seem to be shifting away, and a fleeting look of surprise and something more flashed through his eyes when he readjusted his grip on L's hip. He had to resist the urge to grip L tighter, to pull him closer and feel that lithe body against his once more- doing so could jeopardize everything he was trying to regain.

A thin black eyebrow quirking, L's eyes flicked over to their joined hands as he told Light, with only the slightest trace of skepticism, "I was not aware that I was supposed to be dancing."

His obsidian eyes were fixed firmly on their hands as he spoke, and as he did so, he adjusted his grip so that their hands fit together somewhat better. Light's fingers grew tighter around his as L wriggled his own closer into the vampire's grip, holding the pale fingers in place.

"Conducting, dancing… with you, it seems to appear the same," Light said almost in a dismissive manner, and yet there was a subtle hint of teasing under the words that L had missed so much. His hand clasped L's firmly, silently communicating that he would not allow the composer to slip away unwarranted.

Not that L would, of course. Not now that he had finally gotten the blasted vampire in here. Eyebrows raising, L questioned, "Does it? And then, the point of this?" He raised their entwined hands on the last question, giving Light a sardonic, questioning look.

A small smile tugged at the corner of Light's full lips as his eyes flitted over to see their hands, pale fingers twisted round golden ones, caged, trapped, ensnared.

Just the way Light preferred it. And that L was allowing this, not trying to pull away and almost…bantering with him only pleased him more, ignited a small spark of hope within him. "You looked like you could use some work with your steps," Light said quietly, tugging L's body closer, so that the fabric of their shirts were brushing.

"And so you presume to take on the title of teacher?" L sounded slightly offended at this, but he made no move to tug away or otherwise showed that he took genuine insult at Light's words.

There was a small smile flitting on L's pale lips, unseen to all but Light, who knew every nuance of L's facial expressions by heart. "Well, of course," Light said graciously, giving L a smile that held a bit of a challenge- and a question.

Ducking his head, L let what Light thought was a small smile flick over the composer's pale lips, before he brought his head up once more. "I see," L sighed, thin shoulders lifting up and down in a seemingly helpless shrug. His eyes lifted up to meet Light's as he raised thin black eyebrows. "Lead on, then."

Taken momentarily back by L's words, Light blinked, shoulders stiffening, before they relaxed and a gleam of what could be called excitement passed through his lovely amber eyes. A small, genuine smile pulled at Light's full lips as his grip tightened about L's waist and hand, and he tapped his foot three times in succession, before he pulled L along into a waltz, humming a well-known melody as he did so.

…At least, it ought to be known. L was the one who composed it, after all. Light had spent countless hours listening to L plucking out the different melodies and harmonies on his piano, heard him humming in when he paused for a break, and observed him tapping his foot, fingers twitching in the standard ¾ time that was used for most waltzes.

It was something that Light had long found endearing about L. He tended to become focused on a composition to the point where he would think of nothing else but that one song.

But he was stretching the truth, however, when he had told the young composer that he needed to improve his waltzing skills. L was a marvelous dancer. The vampire, however, would have expected nothing less, as many musically-gifted people that Light had known in his long past had also excelled in the dancing arts. Dancing, after all, was taking the music that was heard and simply expressing it through the body. This was no exception.

"What changed your mind?"

Light's sudden question had him almost stumbling as it surprised him, but he recovered before Light could take notice of anything being wrong. Glancing up at Light fleetingly, L saw that the vampire's face was fixedly thoughtful, though his eyes were fixed firmly upon L's face.

He had known that he would have to face questions like this, but he had obviously not emotionally or mentally prepared well enough. It was apparent what Light was asking, though. Light knew that L knew, because there was no other reason that L would have allowed Light in here without disappearing within a scant few moments. And they knew each other well enough; further explanations were not needed to explain what the matter at hand was.

L's eyes flicked to the left as he tried to come up with something to say that was not so… girlish. He had, apparently, not thought this far ahead in his planning of luring Light here so that they might reconcile. He had no idea how to go about this, to explain why he had been avoiding Light without sounding like a schoolgirl.

His brilliant mind raced, and finally, he slowly and quietly said, "It was not that I was avoiding you, per se, so much as…"

He trailed off, unable to think of how to finish, how to voice the words. L remained silent and Light waited, wondering if the composer was thinking. After a minute of silence, the vampire reasoned that perhaps he had not intended to finish answering. But he wanted the answer- he wouldn't allow L to elude him, not this time around, not when he had finally been able to reach L once again.

"So much as what?" Light pushed, and L's shoulder's tensed for a single, almost unnoticeable moment, before his eyes dropped to the ground.

"…Nothing," L murmured after a moment, shaking his head. Black spikes of hair waved with the movement, and the action sent a hint of L's darkly delicious scent to Light's nose. It was something he'd missed, being this close to L, and the proximity after being cut off for days was almost overwhelming his senses.

But it didn't deter him from the fact that L was trying to be elusive, to evade the question, and that was something that Light could simply not allow. He forcibly ignored L's scent, pushing it to the back of his mind in favor of getting to the bottom of L's feelings.

"L…" Light tried again, eyebrows raising the slightest as L's black eyes remained downcast, cutting Light off from seeing what the young composer was truly thinking, truly feeling. His body felt stiff under Light's hand, the muscles running along his back tight from where Light could feel them under his fingertips. It felt good to be this close to L once again, but this awkwardness was not what Light desired.

Silence reigned, and the only sound in the room was the sound of their feet- Light's shoe-clad feet, and L's bare ones- thudding softly on the plushy-carpeted floor, still keeping in perfect rhythm that Light had previously been humming.

L's lovely black eyes were shuttered, cast down and their depths shielded by the too-long jags of bang that obscured them. Light despised it when L was like this- inaccessible and cut off. He had hoped that they would be easily able to get past the... thing… hanging between them, the awkward embarrassment and unsureness that L still kept about him, gathered to himself like a cloak.

However… somehow, Light could not blame the young composer. L's past was shady and hidden, even from Light, whom L trusted implicitly and with his life, as had been proven over and over again, every time Light took L's blood. And he remained, still faithful even after L had cut him off. Ironic, that, that a creature that was treated with such mistrust and disdain was the one to keep a promise and remain true, when L had not. Light had not openly asked for blood and L had not refused him, so the conditions of the Accord were still upheld, but both knew that this could not continue forever.

It was just a matter of finding the right words. And Light had always been a master wordsmith. If L would not talk, then he would simply do the talking, and let L take it from where he wanted to.

"…I've missed you, you know," Light murmured softly, breaking the silence. His words were a gamble, as he was not one to voice his true feelings with great abandon. L was the only one who he had ever made an exception for, and he let the words fall unhindered from his lips, not hiding the trace of longing that they held.

The words, however, served Light's purpose well, just as he had intended. Shocked, both at the amount of open feeling they carried, as well as the words themselves, L's head snapped up, endearingly thin black eyebrows furrowing over wide eyes. "What?" L said, clearly taken aback.

Shaking his head slightly, Light proffered a small, somewhat rueful smile at the shocked composer in his arms. "You heard me, L," Light told him, seeing surprise flitting through lovely black eyes. "Unless all that music has finally made you deaf, there's no way that you couldn't have not heard me."

No. L had heard Light very, very clearly. With the proximity Light's full lips were in regards to his ear, there was no way L could have not heard him. But the words… it was so rarely that Light was so open with him, so clearly honest.

And…

A small flash of guilt went through him at the trace of longing within Light's lovely voice, because he knew that he had been cruel. To accept Light's advances, return them, and then abruptly cut the vampire off from the contact he had apparently been desiring…. It was harsh. But to say such a thing, to offer up the feeble excuse that he had simply needed some time to think, when their relationship was so clearly already defined…

It truly was feeble, at best. They had already been partners and friends, for many years. The previous events had simply been upping their relationship, taking the next level in trust. It should have not been this hard. Embarrassment flushed through L as he realized how truly selfish and childish he had been, for there had really been no reason for such drastic measures.

But, now… to mend what he had frayed was not so easily. Pride was something L had in overabundance, and to say that he was wrong for cutting light off like he had, to apologize was something that was not easy at all.

He became aware that he was still in Light's embrace, his hand resting on Light's warm shoulders. The vampire was quiet, waiting for his response with softly enquiring eyes.

There it was again, the crescendo that was so present with Light. It was leading to the only conclusion this meeting that L had subtly initiated could possess…

Taking in a short breath, L struggled to find the words, finally coming up with just the barest beginning of a sentence, just to have something to say, to acknowledge Light's words and indicate that he had heard. "I just…" L trailed off, shaking his head. There were no right words for this situation, no way to verbally right this wrong.

A small puff of air escaped through L's lips, an inarticulate expression of irritation. Why did this have to be so difficult?

Sensing that L was not about to finish his thought, Light intervened, taking hope in the fact that L appeared to be trying to voice his feelings. He understood, though. Emotions were fickle things, easier felt than voiced. "I miss your company, L," Light said quietly, yet earnestly. "I miss you."

The last three words had something start aching within L's chest, a nameless guilt for his unwitting cruelty. Because he had been childish and refused to talk to Light, it had come to this. He hadn't wanted to hurt Light, and yet…

"Light…" L started, looking up at Light. His black eyes were wide, and Light could see some nameless emotion in them, something that was struggling to get out. But Light cut L off before the young composer could say anything else, feeling the need to reassure L in some way.

"I understand, L," Light murmured gently, leaning down so that his lips were closer to L's ear and delighting secretly in the tiniest shiver that it elicited, "if you don't want to face me, but… tell me. Let me know. I don't like to be cut off from you like this. If there is something wrong… tell me, L. I'm here," Light said, pulling back. His eyes were open and honest, no sense of trickery or deceit in any nuance of the vampire's voice or facial expression. "I promised you I wouldn't leave your side, and I'll stick by that to the end."

L let out a shuddering breath at the fervent words. Something like that… that complete reassurance, the promise that Light would be with him until the very end, would never desert him or leave him behind as so many others had, was something he had always longed to hear from the mouth of someone he could trust.

But constant turmoil had left L wary of such sweet promises. His brother had once said something to that effect, and he was nowhere in sight. His parents, the Lawliet family's rock were supposed to have been there, but the dead were not good company. A recluse, L had many acquaintances but few friends, and even his nephew rarely visited.

Light was the one being that could and would always be there, as the mark on their fingers could attest. Light was L's rock, his inspiration, and to have that for the first time in his life was frightening, because L truly did not know how to deal with it. He was at a loss, and the only thing he could say in return was the faint start of the confession as to what was truly plaguing him.

"I…" L started quietly, but the right words, the pretty excuses would not come to his lips.

It was such a faint sound that L had made that Light, even with his supernatural hearing, did not catch the beginning of L's cut-off sentence. "Hm?" Light hummed inquisitively, gaze so very open and expectant, waiting for L to respond.

…He couldn't do this. It was simply too embarrassing. L slid his hand off of Light's shoulder and subtly tried to pull his other hand from Light's, his only thought on leaving somehow, because he didn't think he truly could face this. He had his pride, and to admit to something such as that was something that was extremely hard for him to do. He tried to pull away, but Light's grip on him tightened, holding him in place as they finally came to a halt in the middle of the room. It was not hard to hold the composer still, which was good for Light, as he did not plan to let L go until this had been settled for good.

As if sensing the vampire's intentions, L finally stilled and looked up, meeting Light's bright, intense amber eyes fully. His black eyes sparked in mixed anger and embarrassment as he finally hissed, throwing his caution and pride to the wind, "It's just embarrassing!"

Silence reigned in the room after L's confession, though a single thrill of relief went through Light's heart at the confession.

There. The heart of the problem.

A small smile, unseen by the rather angered L, flirted at the edge of Light's full lips. If nothing else, he could trust L to be honest with him, when push came to shove. He could elude and only say what was needed, but when the time came, when it was just L and Light, the younger man would always, always be honest.

Because he knew what the problem had been. L was a prideful creature, as Light well knew. He had shown in many times, both in his protective actions towards his work when Dominick Tracey had dared to copy him, and in the way he positively seemed to glow when he finished a piece and received the highest amount of praise for it when it was performed.

But L had to truly learn how to face his fears, to get over this. Light did not want such hindering emotions in their relationship.

"How so?" Light asked gently, subtly stepping closer to L, pleased when L made no protest. His hand slipped from cradling L's waist to around his back, wrapping his arm around the composer's trim waist. The firm body felt wonderful in his arms, a sense of rightness suffusing Light as his grip around L's hand tightened, subtly refusing to let go and allow the composer to slip away.

A slew of confusing emotions assaulted L, and he barely noticed the vampire slide closer as he attempted to sort out his feelings to coherently put them to words. But the vampire's sudden closeness, the warm arm wrapping around his waist and the feel of tanned, graceful fingers wrapping more firmly about his derailed sigh train of thought somewhat and flustered, he forced out, "That you saw… I've never…" L gritted out jolted, before shaking his head and gathering his thoughts, finished, "You were the first person to get that close to me, Light! To think that you saw me like that is just too embarrassing!"

The allusion to that night a week ago, when they had finally allowed the crescendo of their relationship to peak, hung thick in the air. L's embarrassment was understandable, however, for Light had once been the same way. But in that same nuance, because Light understood the embarrassment of allowing another to see them so debauched and not in perfect control… he also felt the need to reassure the young composer.

Because L had no need to feel embarrassed, whatsoever. Letting go of his control had no doubt been hard for L, but Light… he had adored it. Had reveled in the way L had become so beautifully unraveled and wanton under his touch, and looked forwards to doing so again and again.

He could see the tenseness and slight humiliation in the tense lines of L's mouth, in the narrowing of his eyes and tightening of his muscles as his back stiffened. And he felt the need to wipe that away, and decided to do so in the way that he saw best.

A beatific smile took over Light's face, as he finally let go of L's hand, releasing it from the tight grasp it had been captured in. Instead, he reached down to take hold of L's pointed chin, turning the pale face up, forcing downcast black eyes to meet his. "Embarrassing…?" Light murmured, shaking his head before he continued with great earnestness, "L, I adored what I saw. You've no need to be embarrassed at all." Closing his eyes briefly, Light let a small, self-depreciating chuckle escape his mouth as he murmured, "You have no idea what it did to me to see you like that."

L's eyes opened wide in shock upon hearing Light's words, feeling the warm fingers cradling his chin. Of all the things that he was expecting his assistant to say, it was not this. A hot flush of embarrassment swept through him at the vampire's words, but it was mixed with a tinge of desire, too, for the way the vampire's voice dropped to a husky whisper brought back memories of whispered urgings spoken directly into his ear that night a week ago.

Just he thought sent a thrill through him, and unbidden, the vampire's name came tumbling from his lips in a voice that held both a hint of discomfiture and desire. "Light…"

L felt himself being drawn in closer to the vampire, the arm around his waist pressing him flush against the vampire's body, and he felt the firm press of Light's chest against his own, could feel in detail every line of Light's body. His other arm moved from his chin to the back of his head, cradling it as L allowed his head to fall back, giving Light total access to his neck. He inhaled sharply as Light leaned over him, and he could smell Light's natural scent, a dizzying mixture of cinnamon and something that was namelessly masculine.

It sent L's eyelids fluttering, resisted the urge to close them as Light inclined his head, hot, silken lips playing over the delicate white skin of his throat, soft strands of caramel-colored hair brushing over his skin. There was a soft exhale of warm breath, and then Light murmured, "No idea what feelings it incited within me to see you splayed out beneath me, trembling and taut with desire…"

Light's fingers tightened around his waist and hair, making L gasp both at the pleasurable, tingling shocks of slight pain from Light's tightened grip and the smoky, murmured words. And it only became more intense when Light continued, his voice enveloping L's senses and making his mind go fuzzy as Light nipped at the skin of his neck, "…To feel and watch you writhe in pleasure… the sound of you crying out in ecstasy… the way you tasted on my tongue, felt on my lips…" As if to punctuate this last sentence, Light pulled back, only to place a soft kiss upon L's lips.

"Ah…" L breathed softly, into Light's mouth. The vampire lingered only long enough to get a full taste of L's lips, before dipping his head once more to nuzzle gently at the rise of L's collarbone.

"I reveled in every minute of it, L," Light murmured against the soft skin of L's neck, nipping gently and making the lithe frame pressed against him shiver in mixed delight and anticipation, "knowing that I was the only one who would ever draw such reactions from you."

Speechless at this point, Light's very presence overwhelming him, L could only clutch at the pressed fabric of the jacket covering Light's shoulders, "Mmm…" he moaned, feeling the breathy exhale of a warm laugh against his neck. A hot, soft tongue came out to lave at the spot on his neck where his pulse was the strongest, and he shivered in anticipation, knowing that the sting of Light's fangs were coming soon.

It was difficult to put into words or emotions, what he felt the moments before Light bit him. This position was so much more intimate than Light taking his blood from the wrist. There was no way to see for sure what Light was doing and that he could only feel and allow Light to do as he wished. Clutching at Light's shoulder and at his hair in an attempt to steady himself, L had only the hazy passing thought this was both frightening and exhilarating. But he trusted Light, trusted him with his life, and so he allowed the vampire to do what he wanted, because what Light wanted was also what L wanted, as well.

His body tensed as he felt the press of fangs against his skin, anticipating the pain, waiting for it.

But, before Light could act, the door to L's workroom suddenly flew open and a certain young, blonde man that had been hiding out and lying low at his uncle's mansion strode in. "Uncle L!" Mello said jovially, blue eyes sparkling with anticipation of taking mid-afternoon tea with his uncle.

However, he stopped short, his next sentence dying upon his tongue and blue eyes opening wide as he saw his uncle and his uncle's assistant in their rather compromising position.

"Uncle!" Mello exclaimed in shock, and that was enough to snap both Light and L to attention. A brief moment of panic went through Light at being discovered, but he hid it well as he calmly released L and stepped away. L, however, was a little less composed and a flash of fear ran across his pale features. It went unnoticed however, as Mello's full attention was focused on the- to his point of view- instigator of the act.

"What the hell were doing to my uncle's neck! Get away from him!" Mello growled, stalking up to Light and placing both hands upon the vampire's chest, sharply shoved the vampire away. Anger glittered in his eyes

"Mello…" L said placatingly, trying tp draw Mello's attention away from Light, but his furious nephew was having none of it.

"What the hell were you doing!" Mello hissed, jabbing a finger into Light's chest, making the older man wince a bit. "What were you thinking?!"

"Mello," L said, struggling to remain calm in the face of his nephew's anger. He couldn't allow Mello to draw the wrong conclusions- but he feared the blonde's incapability to listen to reason. He was notoriously bullheaded, and it was hard to get through to him when he was this angry. "You're drawing the wrong conclusions!" he tried again, saying it loudly and hoping to turn Mello's attention away from Light and onto him.

Mello heard his uncle, but he was currently more focused upon the man that had, for all intents and purposed, appeared to be doing unsavory things to his uncle. "Like hell I am!" Mello retorted sharply, though his eyes never wavered from their glare that was directed firmly at Light. "I know what I saw!"

Blinking, Light realized that this could be his out, his chance to take control of the situation and turn Mello's line of accusations in a new direction. "And what do you think you saw?" Light asked calmly, standing tall and folding his arms, refusing to be cowed by the younger man.

Ice-blue eyes narrowing, Mello stabbed a finger at the vampire, saying accusatorily, "You were eyeing his neck like you were about to-" Mello abruptly cut himself off, freezing as first few moments when he had walked in replaying in his mind. The way that Light had been holding L and hovering over him, the way L had been desperately holding onto his assistant, as if he were to fall without some assistance…

Light's eyebrows raised as Mello remained frozen, waiting for the younger human to speak. It took only a few seconds for the blonde man to recover, however, and he stepped back in disbelief, eyeing Light with a mixture of wariness and anger as he whispered, "Holy shit, were you about to… to bite him?!"

"No," Light answered shortly, as soon as Mello had forced the biting words out. His eyes flicked over to L, seeing the stricken look upon the composer's face. The sheer worry held within L's face was enough to make Light decide that this situation needed to be defused quickly.

He unfolded his arms, walking closer to L's nephew, telling him firmly, "Mello. You're distressing him needlessly." Ignoring the way Mello seemed to back away from him, Light reached out and snagged the front of Mello's jacket in his grasp, clutching the lapels firmly in hand as he started tugging, pulling Mello along after him. He slowly made his way to the door of L's workroom, blandly telling Mello while ignoring the blonde's protests, "Let's go somewhere where we can discuss this privately and leave L to work."

"Hey- HEY!" Mello shouted, grasping Light's hands and trying to remove them. However, the vampire's grip was ironlike and nothing Mello did could force Light's hands off of him, even as he continued to snarl, "Get your hands off of me! You bumbling idiot, stop that!"

Rolling his eyes, Light firmly shut out Mello's voice as he walked, only turning to politely tell a now bemused-looking L, "L, I shall be seeing you later. Make sure that you go down to the kitchens for some tea soon. You need a break."

And as Light left with a struggling Mello firmly in tow and a glint of irritation mixed with amusement in his lovely amber eyes, L could only stare after them, a small smile tugging at his slightly reddened lips.

…He had a feeling everything would be alright now. He could hear Mello's useless protests still coming from the hallways, but he paid them no mind. Smile still flirting teasingly at his lips, L turned away, pulling out a piece of paper that had been hastily stuck between the pages of Kane's composition. It was something he had been working on for some time, a piece that had to be worked on in absolute secrecy, for it was a composition that he did not want Light to see.

Not yet, at least.

He took it gently in hand, smoothing out any wrinkles that were to be found within the creases. L wandered back over to his music stand, deep black eyes scanning intently over the piece of music that had been abruptly cut off in the middle of being written.

While he was somewhat disappointed that their dance had been cut off so suddenly, it did not upset him overly much.

It gave him some time to think, after all.

There was a concert in a month's time…

Just enough time to piece together something truly spectacular, truly wonderful.

* * *

Being a vampire with supernatural strength did, on occasion, did come in great use sometimes.

Such as when one had to drag enraged nephews away to allow them to cool down.

Which Light was doing at the moment. Disregarding the threats and protests that the engry blonde tossed at him, he dragged the enraged young man all the way down the hall, firmly ignoring the doors that tentatively opened the slightest bit, peeking out to see what all the fuss was about. He put out of mind the way the servant's eyes that peeked out of their rooms widened in shock upon seeing the rather odd sight of Earl Loren Lawliet's nephew being single-handedly and determinedly dragged away from his uncle's workroom by a bland-faced assistant.

…It was not something that was seen every day.

But still, Light persisted, and successfully managed to pull Mello along after him down the stairs, across the marble floors of the entrance hall and to the library, through the door to the left of the entrance hall. He opened the door and let Mello go, only to push him inside and firmly close the door. Servants were rather nosy, and he did not relish the thought of eavesdroppers for this particular conversation.

Servants had the nasty tendency to gossip, and the truth often got stretched to unsavory lengths because of this. Light did not even want to imagine the types of rumors that could spread if this conversation was heard.

Scant moments after being pushed into the library, Mello recovered and rounded on Light. "What the hell was that?" Mello snarled, blue eyes flashing in fury. "What were you _doing_ trying to _bite_ my _uncle?!_ "

This wouldn't be the first time that Light had dealt with enraged humans because of his vampire nature and he had the kind of sinking feeling it would not be the last, either. But past experience had made him quite the accomplished spinner of falsities, and he used this ability now to ease L's nephew's suspicions.

Straightening his posture and adjusting the sleeves of his jacket, Light put on an affected affronted look, light brown eyebrows rising in an expression of disbelief. "Bite?" Light asked with false incredulousness. "You have it all wrong- I was simply looking at a burn

"…A burn," Mello repeated flatly, blonde slashes of eyebrow raising high in silent disbelief. A flash of fear went through Light- he didn't even want to imagine what woul dhappen if Mello did not believe him. It would create complications, for Mello was very protective of his reclusive uncle, and Light did not want to be regarded as a threat by Mello.

This thought fixed firmly in mind, Light put his best efforts into convincing Mello that he had not been attempting anything unnatural with L. Well, unnatural to anyone but them. "Yes," Light nodded. "He was in the kitchens the other day," he lied with ease, "and was watching the cook sauté onions that were to be used later that night when the oil spit and a stray drop flew onto L's neck. It has been irritating him and he wished for me to look at it and determine if it needed an ointment."

Light internally congratulated himself for his impeccable ability to weave such plausible tales as Mello paused to assess him, considering. The story was plausible, for L often wandered down to the kitchens for a small bite to eat when he was in need of a break from his music. It wasn't often that he stopped to watch the coos, but curiously did get ahold of him occasionally, and Light had more than once found him lingering in the kitchens when he failed to come back to his workroom.

And, he sincerely doubted that Mello would check the authenticity of his story with the cooks themselves. It simply wasn't worth it, Light knew, and besides, he knew that his story had been accepted as Mello stepped back and folded his arms, with a sharp nod.

"Right. That's a relief. Thought you wanted to bite him or something," Mello said, turning away.

An unseen, small smile playing over his lips as he watched Mello walk away to settle into one of the library's comfortable chairs, he murmured, "Of course not. Things like vampires only exist in fairytales."

"Quite right," Mello replied with a sharp nod of his head, picking up the daily newspaper that had been carelessly tossed over the arm of the chair he was now settled into, opening it with a sharp snap. The action was as good as saying that Light was dismissed, and with a last smirk, Light turned sharply on his heel and strode out of the library.

…Humans were so easy to manipulate in their ignorance sometimes.

Ignoring L's rather irritating assistant, Mello started in on his newspaper. However, he was barely able to get through the first article before there came a loud and rather jolting sound of the knocker upon the doors to the mansion came. Rolling his eyes, Mello ignored it, assuming that it would be answered shortly and the annoyance would be taken care of.

With every knock, Mello's eye twitched, for the sound was quite irritating and never ceased. When the sharp rapping of the large metal knocker remained insistent, even after a good three minutes, Mello cursed and threw aside the newspaper he had previously been immersed in.

Didn't L have a blasted butler or some other servant to take care of annoyances like this? Even that assistant of his that he seemed to favor so much, Light, could have taken care of it. But, since there was no one around and the idiot standing at the door would simply not leave, there was really only one alternative.

Newspaper abandoned, Mello pushed himself irritably out of his comfortable chair and stalked angrily out of the library, down the wooden grand staircase and across the white marble tiles of the entry hall, boots clacking resoundingly on each step, signifying his irritation.

Striding to the door, Mello grasped the polished doorhandles and yanked the great oaken doors open, the start of an angry greeting on the tip of his tongue.

However, that greeting died a sudden and very quick death as he saw who, exactly, was standing at the door.

White curls. Slim form. Youthful face. Large grey eyes with thick black lashes. Pale, full pink lips.

...Everything that Mello liked wrapped up into a nice little package that was standing so very invitingly on the front doorstep. His whole manner shifting quickly from angry to lasciviously welcoming, Mello brushed his neatly-trimmed blonde bangs out of his eyes and gave his best smile to the person standing patiently on the doorstep.

"Oh, hello. What's pretty thing like you doing here, hm?" Mello purred, darkened eyes sweeping slowly over the stranger's slim form. She seemed a bit small-chested under the stylish overcoat, but that was quite alright. Breasts, after all, were not everything. "Wandered quite far off the beaten path, haven't you?" Mello continued, his blue eyes lazily traveling down further.

Blonde eyebrows raised in silent shock before he tore his gaze away from the really quite nice legs showcased splendidly in flattering dark grey pants. "And in trousers, no less?" Mello asked, shifting his weight to lean against the doorframe, offering up a welcoming, sultry smile.

Large grey eyes blinked slowly at the rather unorthodox welcome. Mello was fully aware that he did not look like a butler, so it was quite understandable that the lady was somewhat confused.

And then, the pale pink lips parted, and- "…My name is Nate River. I'm to be Earl Loren Lawliet's new bookkeeper," the  
stranger said quietly. "And… I'm male."

* * *

Light poured wine from a crystal decanter into two glasses as the young man behind him got settled into his chair. He raised a pale hand to even paler white locks to twist and curl a wavy piece of hair inbetween his fingers, thinking quietly as Light moved around the library. It was a bit of an annoyance that Mello had answered the door, but perhaps it was for the best, because a sulking and mortified Mello was far less likely to burst into the library and overhear some incriminating nuance of their conversation than a Mello that was not so.

Light's lips twitched in in amusement as he remembered the shocked look of disbelief upon Mello's handsome face as the white-haired man had calmly informed Mello of his true gender. Light himself had just been coming down from his own rooms to answer the door, but Mello's patience had apparently grown thin and he had answered the door himself. He had caught just the very end of their short conversation and witnessed the way Mello had abruptly stalked off without another word, leaving Light to show their new bookkeeper in.

The caramel-haired vampire's lips twitched once more, threatening to spread to a full smile as he thought of Mello's mixed anger and embarrassment upon finding that the man currently with him in the library was, in fact, male, and not female.

…He didn't blame Mello, though. Not really.

…Nate tended to have that effect on people.

But, that thought brooked the further question of why, exactly, Nate River was here, of all places. The last time Light had gained word of him, the white-haired vampire was in Germany, staying in a small, rural clan in the countryside.

Turning back around, Light set the two glasses of wine upon the table, then reached back and set the decanter upon the wooden surface as well. Light pushed Near's glass closer to him as he settled down into his own chair, leaning back. Without further ado, Light's eyes narrowed the slightest bit as he asked, "What are you doing here, Nate?"

A small smile overtook Near's lips for a brief moment. Light was just as he remembered; curt and straight to the point on things that he deemed rather important. And then, he grew serious once more as the true reason of his sudden arrival here. "I've heard some things... I thought it would be best to confirm my own suspicions."

A caramel-brown eyebrow quirked as Light abruptly asked, "So you came here and blatantly decided to invade my privacy?"

Near was silent at this, his only response to reach out and take his glass of wine from the table and raise it to delicately sip at it. Light took Near's silence as a yeas, and he shook his head. "Damn it, Nate…" Light muttered.

The last thing he wanted was a vampire at L's mansion. If L were to find out of another vampire here… it might seriously shatter the composer's faith in him. That was not something he wanted under any circumstance.

Setting his glass down, Near leaned forwards, his voice intent as he told Light, "It was the only way. I had to see for myself. You've been out of contact for some time. We were all worried about you, Light," Near said, referring to the clan that they had stayed at in Germany for a few years. The vampires there had been extremely kind, and if Light were not so restless, he might have eventually settled down there.

But… there were certain circumstances that had forced Light to keep on the move, and Near knew this. "You knew why I left," Light said softly, staring at the thick red wine that sat untouched in his glass. As a vampire, he quite disliked solid food, but certain liquid substances still held somewhat of an appeal, one of which was darker varieties of wine.

Near nodded at Light's words. "Yes," he agreed. He knew very well why Light left. But… where he had settled was not in the best interests for his life. "And I see that you've taken up with a human-Light, what possessed you to think that making an Accord at this time was a good idea?"

Immediately, Light's amber eyes grew frigid and shuttered, lines of his body tensing as he leveled a forbidding glare at the vampires sitting opposite of him. "Don't bring that into this, Nate," Light warned.

But Near was not to be dissuaded, and he pressed forward, saying insistently, "…Light. You know this can't go on forever."

"I know that, Nate," Light replied shortly.

Near paused long enough to take a long look at Light. The elder vampire continued to flick his eyes upwards, and Near could sense the tenseness and desire within Light's bearing. He knew that Light had forged an Accord with Earl Loren Lawliet, but… he had apparently been wrong in assuming it was only for a constant, safer source of blood.

It would seem that the feelings Light held for his Accorded ran deeper than he previously thought, and that could pose a very serious problem in the future. Light needed to realize…

Leaning forwards, Near said softly, regaining Light's attention, "He's going to die someday, and you'll be left behind." Light stiffened at Near's words, the muscles around his lovely amber eyes tightening, though Near could see a flash of some unnamed, dark emotion pass fleetingly through Light's eyes.

\Nevertheless, Near forged on, saying quietly, yet firmly, "And when he does… I refuse to pick up the pieces, Light. It's a hell of a tough job to put someone back together after a loss like that, and you're not one of my puzzles." Taking a deep breath and shoving away the memories that his own words brought to mind, Near forged on, a tinge of a deep sadness lacing his voice as he continued, "People aren't puzzles, no matter how much I'd like them to be. They'd certainly be a hell of a lot easier to piece together if they were."

"Nate," Light said, and his tone brooked no argument. He stood, looking down at the younger vampire with a gaze that spoke volumes for how he was done with the conversation at hand. "I'll deal with that when the time comes."

"No, Light," Near firmly said, standing up as well and meeting Light's steadily- darkening gaze. "We deal with it _now._ Humans are fragile. We both know this." Near's eyes became downcast, and more quietly, he murmured, "Me more so than you do."

"What happened to Matt," Light gritted out between clenched teeth, "was not my fault. Neither of could prevent that."

"I know," Near whispered. His arms crossed around his chest, shoulders slumping as his mouth turned downwards in unhappiness as the memories that had been plaguing him for years came to the surface once more. "And he hates me for it. I should have let him die, but…"

"It's just you, Nate," Light said, rounding on the smaller vampire. His eyes flashed in the light of the fireplace, the flames reflected in hem making them turn a bright reddish-orange. "You hold onto things until they're broken, and even then you _can't let them go_."

Near recoiled from Light for only a scant second, before shaking his head. "You, Light, are the same way," he said, and then continued, cutting off the start of Light's angry protest. "Long after L's died, you'll hold onto him, cling to the memory. You need to either let him go now, or-"

" _No,_ " Light said, refusing to Let Near finish that thought. It was painful to even think of, and he couldn't actually imagine actually cutting himself off from L. But the other option… what Near was suggesting he do… "I will not do that. I refuse to take _that_ away from him."

He couldn't curse L just to keep the younger man at his side. He couldn't take that away, like it had been ripped from him.

Near's eyes grew almost black in anger at Light's stubborn refusal, his unwillingness to listen. He had always hated trying to reason with Light, for the older vampire was bullheaded to a fault. " _Then let him go, Light!_ " Near shouted, making Light fall silent in surprise, for the soft-spoken vampire rarely ever raised his voice above a steely whisper when he needed to be listened to. It was at odds with his soft appearance, wholly unnatural for the white-haired vampire.

Standing up, Near stepped closer to Light, his hand slashing out in anger. The light from the fireplace played along his face, casting it in an unnatural shadows as he vehemently snarled, "This is not going to end up as a happy fairy tale, Light! Your princess is going to fade one day, Light. Your kingdom will crumble and you'll be left with memories that eat at you until you go insane!"

"My life is not one of your fantasies that you entertain yourself with by playing them out with toys, Nate!" Light retaliated, referring to the way Near still clung to the toys of a childhood that he would never regain, for he had been cursed with the gift of immortality at only 15, left to have his mind age beyond his years while still stuck in the body of a just-budding teenager.

Eyes narrowing into venomous slits, Near hissed, fists clenching, "I'm only trying to help you, Light! I'm trying to prevent what I _know_ will happen. There are only two ways that your little Accord with L will end up, and we both know that."

Near's last words rang heavily in the now-silent library as the two vampires eyed each other warily. The irrefutable logic of Near's words sombered the air between them, dampening their anger and making their hearts heavy. Because Near was right. Light's relationship could end only two ways, and both were undesirable. It was why vampires so rarely forged Accords with humans, unless they were sure that no deep feelings would be formed.

And Light had deeply miscalculated on that count.

Turning away, Light closed his eyes and rubbed his hand over his face in desperation. "I said, I'll deal with it when the time comes," he forced out, to wanting to face this decision. Everything, the emotions he felt for L and their tentative, fragile relationship was too new, too raw to throw _that_ variable into.

Near watched Light with unwavering eyes, saw the slumped set of his shoulders and could almost sense the indecision and turmoil within his heart. However, he could afford no sympathetic feelings, for a much more pressing matter was at hand, and he did not- could not- watch Light fall to the same depths that he himself had, floundering in indecision when the movement became crucial. He needed to make a choice and come to terms with it, before he made the wrong one at the crux of the moment and ended up regretting it for the rest of his eternal life.

…As he himself had so long ago.

Taking a deep breath, Near quietly said, "Light, that time may be coming sooner than you think. _She's_ caught wind of your presence here, and-"

Light's eyes opened wide and his hand dropped to his side as he whirled around, fangs bared in a grimace that was both anger and fear. _"Her?!"_

He had expected nothing less. The woman that had turned Light, terrorized him and stalked him for years before he was finally able to escape and hide in a new country was the darkest spot in Light's past, a burden that bowed his shoulders and ate at his memories though he had tried so hard to forget.

Near truly wished that he didn't have to be the bearer of such black news, but he was the only one who really knew where Light was, through careful, hidden observation of the vampire that had sheltered him and cared for him for years while he attempted to come to terms with the curse. It was his way of repaying Light for his kindness, and even if he had to be the devil's advocate, it was all in Light's best interests.

"Yes," Near nodded. "She's found out that you're here. One of her men were at the concert you and L appeared at."

List fist slammed down upon the coffee table, making the delicate crystal wine decanter and glasses wobble upon the wood. "Godda- I was trying to lie low!" Light snarled, leveling an unholy glare upon the ground as he tried to think of how he could have possibly been recognized. He had been so very careful… No one should have taken notice of a lowly assistant!

Gently, Near spoke, steadying the glasses and decanter, preventing the wine from spilling out. "Then you should have stayed in the slums, Light," Near said, raising his head to look Light straight in the eye as he asked, "Why didn't you refuse when L offered you the chance to work for him?"

Taking a deep, shuddering breath, Light turned away, fists clenching harshly at his sides. He barely registered Near's words, instead focusing on reigning his anger in as he shakily replied, "…I … I wasn't thinking of her. I thought I was safe… I had no idea… no clue that L would grow to be this famous... I did not know that she was on the move again. I thought she had settled down in Russia."

Near nodded. Light's line of thinking had been reasonable at the time, when L was younger, but now… "She did, but you're not in the loop anymore, Light."

Light nodded curtly. "Is that why you thought that it would be best to find me?"

"Yes," Near replied, inclining his head. Sighing, he moved back to take a set upon a plush read chair, bringing one leg up onto the chair. He had nimbly toed his shoes off the moment they set foot within the library, and so there would be no marks left on L's chairs.

Resting an elbow upon his upraised knee, Near stared at the polished surface of the coffee table in front of him as he resignedly told Light, "I knew that if you were living with someone like this, you had to have formed an Accord with them. And you _know_ that he's the first one she will target. L's not safe anymore, Light. Not until she's dead."

"..Goddamn that woman…" Light hissed furiously, also mentally cursing whomever had decided to turn her as well. "They should have known that someone as unstable as her would turn out to be dangerous as a vampire…"

Near smiled a small, unhappy, self-depreciating smile as he quietly said, "Love makes one do crazy things." His slate-grey eyes hardened as he looked up at Light's tense form, murmuring unforgivingly, "You would know that, wouldn't you, Light?"

The elder vampire's head snapped up and his amber eyes grew ice-cold as he regarded the other vampire's small form curled up within the chair. Nate River had a soft appearance, but his words could cut like knives when he chose to wield them. He was not as harmless as he appeared. "Sometimes, Nate, you go a bit too far," Light hissed darkly, baring his teeth in a threatening snarl.

"No," Near returned, and his voice was as hard as his eyes had become. "I go as far as need be. Now-"

But Light cut him off before he had time to finish, tired of hearing the other vampire. He was growing weary of Nate's persistence, and there were things that he refused to consider. Not now, when his emotions were running so high, anger at Near's sudden appearance, his mixed fear and furiousness at the news that the younger vampire brought, and the frustration and helpless desire that had been churning through him ever since Mello had so rudely interrupted he and L earlier. "Not tonight, Nate," Light said sharply, turning away from the coffee table and straightening, a sense of finality in his words and bearing. "No more. We'll discuss this later. "

"But-" Nate tried again, frustration sparking in his slate-grey eyes. His hands clenched in frustration as Light refused to listen him, heed his warnings and cut him off before he had a chance to try to get the elder vampire listen to him.

"Later," Light repeated firmly.

"…Fine." Nate muttered, turning away to stare into the fire, shifting his body upon the chair. "Go to him, then. But when the time comes and you've not thought to plan ahead, I shall not be the one at fault."

Light's eyes narrowed and a mirthless smile overtook his lips as he said, walking to the library door, "You don't know me very well, then, Nate, if you think I would _ever_ let harm come to him."

Something in Light's voice, in his words aught Near's attention and the white-harried vampire looked up, assessing Light. There was something more to Light and L's relationship, Near thought. Light had never, in his memory, been this wholly involved with a human. And because of this, because he knew Light and knew that the elder vampire would take this to the end, he feared that Light would end up broken and shattered, because hearts were almost impossible to put back together. But Near needed confirmation of Light's feelings, because if Light was going to stick this out, then Near…

In honor of their friendship, Near would stay at Light's side until the very end, no matter what happened. His eyes lowered to stare at the fire as he slowly asked, "…He's that important to you?"

Light paused as Near's question came, hanging quietly in the spacious library. His hand was on the handle of the doorknob, clenching it tightly.

He could pretend that he hadn't heard the softly-spoken question. Near had said it in such a volume that he could logically have not heard it, though both of them knew that he had. Because a question such as that… once Light admitted it, there was no going back. Near would never tell, but he would always know, and somehow, someway, through no fault of Near's, word would get out. There were those who would glean the information from body language and syntax, and eventually, rumors would spread and she would gain knowledge of it.

But… to refute what L was… seemed next to blasphemous.

Because there were no words that could ever describe what L was to him. L was his most important person, the center of his universe. Without L… Light didn't even want to entertain any imagination of a world that was devoid of L's brilliance and influence.

And to deny that was to deny all that he had ever felt for L.

"More than you would ever imagine," Light whispered as a reply, growing somber as he voiced the words, because there was no going back now.

He didn't have to look behind him to see that Near had turned his head to stare at him. He could feel that slate-grey gaze boring into his back, assessing and measuring his words, weighing the value of them within his mind.

And then, Near spoke, and Light knew from the words that he had Near's- however unwilling- support.

"Then, Light…" Near murmured, turning back to the fire and removing the heavy grey gaze and fixing it onto the dancing flames, "Be careful. Watch for her, because it won't be you she'll be targeting."

* * *

As it was late by the time Light finished with his meeting with Nate, (or Near, as he preferred to go by, since he was keeping under the scope just as Light was doing and his name was well-known in the vampire communities) Light assumed that L would no doubt just be retiring to his rooms. The composer was a slight insomniac, and very late nights were an often occurrence with L.

Quietly, he made his way up the polished wooden staircase and through the hallways that he had traversed so often, making sure not to make a sound. It would not be in L's best interests if his assistant were to be seen making his way directly to L's room this late at night.

However, Light couldn't find it in himself to simply retire to his room this night. L's scent had been lingering about him all day, ever since he had found it necessary to drag Mello out of L's workroom to dissuade the composer's nephew from harboring any unwanted speculations as to the true nature of their relationship. L's scent was very subtly spread throughout the entirety of the mansion, but it was spread so thinly throughout the rooms that Light had long ago learned to acknowledge it subconsciously, but consciously force it out of his mind, lest he be distracted by the alluring smell.

But… his sudden proximity to L earlier that day had left his enticing scent lingering on Light's clothes, and for the rest of the day, he had been unable to truly block out the alluring aroma. It set both his desire for the composer's lovely blood and more physical desires alight, left him unable to truly concentrate with the alluring scent constantly assaulting his senses.

He prided himself for his excellent control, but a more than physical need had also instilled itself within Light. He needed to be near L, basking in his presence and watching as the young man conjured up some magical compositions with the same intenseness that a plant needed sunlight.

And cut off for so long, he felt an aching desire to be with L, to touch him and reassure himself that it truly was alright now, that L was his and was not eluding him anymore.

It was the driving thought behind his actions as Light made his way down the darkened, quiet hallways, listening intently for the sounds of doors opening or footsteps coming along the same path that he was traversing. But all he heard was the sound of the servants already sleeping or in the process of falling asleep.

For now, he was safe, though he still breathed a sigh of relief as he came to the wooden door of L's room. He heard L moving about in the room, heard the shifting and rustle of clothes and the opening and closing of wooden drawers as L withdrew his nightclothes.

Smiling softly to himself, Light did not bother to knock, but instead opened the door silently and slipped inside, closing it without a sound behind him and turning the lock. He had been interrupted once, and he was sure to take measures that would prevent further disturbances this time around.

Amber eyes lifted, then opened wide at the sight before him.

Only a few scant candles were lit in L's room, and under the thin white fabric of L's casual day shirt, the soft light from the candles allowed Light to see the lightly-muscled torso that lay hidden under the cotton. The composer's back was turned to him, and transfixed, Light watched as L set about shaking out his freshly-washed nightshirt, laying it out upon his dresser, seeing the muscles shift and flex under white skin.

And then, L stopped and stood up straight, an arm raising to run pale fingers through contrastingly ebony-black hair, smoothing it out unconsciously. The movement sent a fresh wave of L's natural scent straight to Light and his eyes fell heavy-lidded as he quietly inhaled.

The smell ignited a fresh wave of desire within him, a burning longing for L's blood as the alluring smell reached him. He had been without for a week, and though he had gone much longer without sustenance on much less nourishing blood… L's was addicting, and he longed for it with every fiber of his being.

Before he knew it, his control had snapped and he was silently striding across the room to press himself against L's back, strong hands clasping the front of his shoulders, nose nuzzling into the thicket of black hair and inhaling deeply. Surprised once again, L gasped sharply and stiffened in his grip, before he calmed and stilled as he realized who was holding him.

His black eyebrows furrowed as L struggled to turn around, which Light was refusing to let him do. He seemed more than content to simply hold L like this, and giving up his struggles, he simply stood still, allowing Light to embrace him.

L's body was firm and lithe underneath his hands, and yet… he was content to simply hold the young composer and revel in his closeness. There was the barely-suppressed desire that was running, burning just under his skin, but he was able to ignore it in favor of simply having L here, being close to him. The silky black hair brushed along the side of Light's face tantalizingly, sweeping delicately across his skin, and unable to help himself, he turned his head to brush gentle lips over L's soft cheek, inhaling the sweet smell rising off of the skin very subtly.

Other than the first initial shock and small struggle before falling still, L had said nothing to neither deter him nor give him encouragement, and filled with an intense need to get some sort of reaction out of the young man, he tilted his head and nipped at the line of L's pulse, feeling it speed up under the bite of his teeth. The jerk and sharp inhalation he gained from L was extremely rewarding, but it was nothing compared to how exciting it was when L gasped out his name in shock.

"Light…!" L gasped, feeling the gentle nip of sharp teeth upon his neck, a shiver of anticipatory delight running along his spine. He had known what Light had come to his room for, though he had not expected to be surprised like this, he would admit. He had no objections, though, and had been expecting the vampire's appearance sooner or later- after being interrupted by Mello earlier, L had known it was only a matter of time before Light made his way here to finish what had been started. But, the composer had not been sure if Light only wanted his blood, or if…

He had wanted something more.

"Shh, L," Light whispered, nuzzling into the thicket of black hair, just behind his ear. It was one of the places where L's natural small, musky and masculine, seemed to blend perfectly with the smell of the sweet, darkly delicious blood pumping hotly beneath the pale, soft skin. "I just want…" Light trailed off, unable to help himself from nipping gently at the skin of L's tantalizing neck once more.

It was obvious what Light wanted, and L was not about to deny him now, not after he had cut Light off for so long. And he had missed it, too, L realized hazily. He had missed the intimacy of the act that had been a permanent part of his life since first forming the Accord with Light.

And, if he were to be honest… now that he had experienced the warmth and security that the vampire's arms held… he had not realized how much he had relished in it and been longing for it until he had it back. It was with a sense of relief that L finally gave in, relaxing back against Light and tilting his head back and to the side, eyes slipping shut.

He allowed Light to slide his hand from his shoulder to rest gently over his flat stomach, right above the slight dip of his navel. Through the thin fabric of his day shirt, he could feel the warmth of the slim, graceful fingers, pressing him backwards into Light's body and providing a steady length of support. Tentatively, L reached up to thread the fingers of his free hand through Light's soft hair, silently communicating that this was alright with him.

But just to make sure, after this morning and solid week of avoiding Light, he felt the need to let Light know that this was alright, to voice it.

"It's alright…" L murmured, and that reassurance sent a flash of mixed relief and desire sizzling through Light. He felt L's hand come to rest on top of his arm, lightly grasping onto the fabric. The other, he felt reaching back to twine into his hair, urging his mouth closer to the pale, slim neck in a gesture of encouragement. The acquiescence and open acceptance of this sent a thrill of delight through the vampire, and he just barely heard L murmur, "You just startled me."

A small smile tugged at Light's lips, a pure feeling of happiness going through him at L's acceptance. It felt right now, that L was allowing him to do this, that there was no hesitation whatsoever. Affectionately, he bent his head to nibble gently at L's earlobe, knowing it to be a sensitive spot from the reactions that he had elicited a week ago. The shiver he got was more than enough encouragement, and going further, he curled his free hand around the arm that L had raised, feeling the firm muscle of L's bicep flex under his touch.

"Ah… Light…." L breathed, and Light's eyes snapped open upon hearing the breathy exhalation of his name coming from pale lips. Something wild took hold of Light, and he tore his lisp away from placing gentle nips and kisses along the line of L's neck. He grasped L's chin and turned it to the side, and before L had time to ask what was wrong, his lips were molded firmly to L's supple ones.

It came as somewhat of a shock when Light suddenly kissed him, but he had no argument whatsoever when Light's hot lips were pressed firmly against his.

He had missed this, L realized. Missed all of Light, every nuance of him. His hands, his lips, his voice, _everything_. He craved Light with an intensity that would have scared him, if he had not been sure that Light would always be around. But he would.

_You're not going to get rid of me that easily._

Light's words rang in his mind, a silent promise that he would stay with L no matter what. Light was safe, was his anchor and inspiration, a constant in a life that had been so unknown and tumultuous. He trusted Light, trusted Light with his life and the vampire had never betrayed him.

Never would betray or leave him. Light was his, just as much as he acknowledged that he was Light's, and this was the thought that was fixed firmly in his mind as he returned Light's kiss with a sense of desperate hunger, craving the closeness that Light offered to him.

He felt Light's grip on him tighten, and knew that if he could see Light's eyes, they would be blazing beautifully, a look of absolute hunger and desire on the vampire's beautiful features. The thought had a thrill of desire running the length of his body and heated groan coming from his throat.

But as soon as the sound left his lips, Light's lips were torn from his, and before he could open his eyes, there was a flash of sharp pain on the side of his neck as sharp fangs pierced his skin swiftly. The feel of blood being pulled from his body made him lightheaded and shaky, a sensation that could only be caused by Light himself. It was only the first part that hurt, L knew, and after that… the feeling of blood draining, forcibly being pulled in long draughts from his body sent pleasurable tingles all through his body, to the very tips of his fingers.

Light had been unable to help himself, and though he regretted not allowing more time for the numbing drug his saliva carried to truly take effect, he had been unable to stop. Another moment more, and he would have been biting at L's lips in an effort to get the blood that his body was craving. It had been almost pleasurable, the way his teeth had punctured the skin, and his body sang as hot blood poured from the twin punctures, rushing into his mouth in a deliciously sweet flood.

He could feel L trembling in his arms, and growling, Light's grip on the lithe body tightened. The fingers twisting in his hair clenched, small shocks of pain rippling through Light's scalp, only heightening the sensation as hot, thick blood that tasted uniquely of L poured into his mouth. It was much stronger, much more heady at the neck, closer to the heart, and Light let out a groan of relief as the taste flowed over his tongue.

He had missed this, had ached and longed for the nearly euphoric taste of his Accorded's blood for the past week. It was better than he could have ever imagined, L quivering in his arms, alluring scent surrounding his senses, alluring, husky moan tumbling from his pale lips.

He tried to savor the taste that was coating his tongue, for he would not be able to indulge in it for a few days. It was hard, however, to pace himself and not simply swallow it in deep draughts, for he felt as if he were the thirsty man who came upon a well with cool, sweet water. L's heart was still beating furiously under his hand, pumping the sweet liquid he was indulging himself in, but he detected the slightest skip to it, the moment when it began to subtly slow as the amount of blood it had to pump lessen.

Caught up in the haze of bloodlust, Light almost disregarded it, but when he felt L's trembles worsen, his body start to fall limp, Light knew with absolute certainty that he had to stop. L could suffer serious harm if he took too much, and that was something that Light never wanted to happen. L trusted him, and that trust was one of the most valuable, treasured things that L had gifted him with.

And he was damned if he was going to break that trust.

With a smooth movement of his head, Light slid his fangs out from L's throat, licking away a few escaped drops from the pale skin and giving the twin punctures a last kiss of farewell before lifting his head. From where he was, he could see L's eyelids were fluttering weakly, his lips parted as he took deep, calming, even breaths.

A flash of panic went through Light as he saw this, and he quickly grasped L's shoulders and turned him around. The younger man's knees seemed to give out as he did so, and Light caught him before he could fall to the ground. His hand cupped the side of L's face as amber eyes worriedly took inventory of L's wellbeing. L looked extremely ill, and that he had been the cause of that made a sort of sick feeling well within Light's heart. Leaning down, he breathed out, "L! Oh, God, I'm sorry…"

"No," L said quietly, opening his eyes and staring up at Light. "I'm alright. Just a bit tired…" he reassured the worried vampire. He proffered a weak smile, just the barest quirk of bloodless lips upwards, before he yawned a little bit, relaxing into Light's arms. "I haven't slept well," he murmured, eyelids drooping until they were almost fully closed, "and today has been rather strenuous…"

L's words were somewhat slurred, and Light watched as the composer let out a light sigh, eyelids slipping all the way shut. His face was very pale, more so than normal, and the vampire fumbled for L's chest, letting out a small breath of relief as he felt the heartbeat under his hand. It was slower than normal, but it was still steady and strong. The firm thumping of the organ reassured Light that L was okay, that Light hadn't gone too far as he feared.

Shoulders slumping in relief, Light raised his eyes to regard L's sleeping form with mixed affection and annoyance. "Next time, brat," Light murmured to the resting composer, reaching up to tap L's forehead with some irritation, "I'll make sure you warn me. Vampires can't suffer heart attacks, but you came rather close to reversing that line of thinking and giving me one."

But the sleeping L had nothing to say to that, and Light sighed, wincing as he shifted L so that he was cradled a bit more comfortably. L stirred a bit at his actions, a wordless murmur coming from his lips and Light looked down, face softening as he regarded the form in his arms. Spikey black hair fell carelessly over L's shoulders and face, a few strands falling to brush ticklingly over the back of Light's hand.

He wiped away a stray droplet of blood trickling down L's neck, and thought back to the first time that they had done this, that night so many years ago, when L had been but a small child.

A small, affectionate smile tugged at the corner of Light's lips as he gazed down upon L's peaceful face. Light had called L a brat back then, and a brat he had been, though a fascinating, brilliant one.

…A brilliant child that had grown into an even more brilliant and bright young man. Light himself had seen the transformation that L had went through over the years and would be the first to admit that the young composer had blossomed into a desirable young man in all aspects of the word.

And…Light would be a liar of the worst sort if he did not admit that he was proud of the fact that _he_ had been the one to capture L's attention. Out of all the companions that L could have chosen over the years, the composer had hand-picked him to be first his assistant, and now his companion. L was wholly his, his to tease and nettle and play with, and when the time came… to enjoy and pleasure in the most erotic way possible. It sent a thrill of possessive delight through the vampire, and his amber eyes gazed softly down at the man cradled in his arms.

A soft sigh escaped Light's lips as he reached up to brush his fingers over L's parted lips, and then reaching up to smooth the jaggedly-cut bangs away. A small flash of amusement went through Light as he remembered L's absolute and stubborn refusal to see a barber, instead choosing to take care of the thicket of spikey black locks himself.

His fingers then trailed down to trace the black shadows that were ever-present under L's eyes, the feature that Light had grown to become so fond of. They highlighted the monochrome of L's eyes so wonderfully, made the large grey and black orbs seem even larger and more striking against the composer's pale face.

…Everything about L was striking, Light conceded, running the pad of his thumb over the sharp line of L's cheekbone. From his sheer intelligence to his musical brilliance, to his unforgettable appearance and enticing smell…. There was nothing about L that Light had not come to admire in some way or another. If he was allowed, he would watch L always, for the man unintentionally drew wandering eyes to him.

There was nothing that Light would ever change about L, no matter his odd quirks or infuriating habits. L was absolutely perfect to him, and was all his.

The thought made a satisfied smile cross his lips as he gathered L close, making sure that the composer's head did not roll uncomfortably. L's slight body was not much of a burden, especially to Light, who possessed an unnatural strength. Gently, he rose to his feet and strode over to the side of L's bed, his stride smooth so as to not jostle L in any way.

He silently pulled back the bedsheets and knelt down upon the bed, alternately lifting and lowering his arms so that he gently shifted L out of his arms. His movements were gentle as he lifted L's head to slip a soft feather pillow under it, caressing L's face affectionately one last time before reaching down to pull the blankets over the young composer.

Smoothing out the sheets, Light flicked his amber eyes up to L's sleeping face, peaceful in repose. He paused to deliberate only a minute before he slowly leant over L, placing his hand on the opposite side of the human's head, staring down into the youthful, lovely features. "Sleep well," Light whispered, and he brushed his lips gently over L's, inhaling the alluring scent that rose from the pale skin one last time before pushing himself up and straightening.

The light from the candles still dimly burning on the top of L's dresser caught his eye, and turning on his heel, Light blew out the last few candles in the room. He then strode silently to the door, pausing only once to glance at L's sleeping form. His hand rested lightly on the wooden frame as he stared at L, and then, he blinked, shaking his head.

"I've always done as you wished, L," Light murmured softly, so as to not wake the sleeping man. L needed his rest, especially after Light had taken so much blood.

His eyes became downcast as the conversation with Near returned to mind, and he closed his eyes, letting out a shuddering breath, before continuing, "But this time… do something for me, L. Sleep well, because if what I fear happens… you'll need your strength to get by. Sleep well," Light whispered, a slight tinge of dark amusement lacing his voice as he realized that this scene was familiar, "sleep well and dream of cake… _Mon petit compositeur_."


End file.
